ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

Gregory Barker: The Department's calculated emissions were (a) 1,135.37 tonnes CO2e in the 2010-11 financial year, and (b) 1,046.28 tonnes CO2e in the 2011-12 financial year. Emissions data for DECC, and its arm’s length bodies falling within the scope of the Greening Government Commitments, will be published in our 2011-12 Annual Report and Accounts.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures his Department introduced to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Gregory Barker: In the year from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, DECC introduced a range of measures to reduce carbon emissions from its buildings, including:
	the installation of a dedicated chiller to cool our server rooms;
	the establishment of occupancy controls in all meeting rooms; and
	the replacement of tungsten halogen and fluorescent lighting with LED lighting.
	In the year from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 further carbon saving measures were introduced including:
	the installation of variable speed drives to supply fans;
	improving controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems;
	installing additional presence detectors to control lighting; and
	automating many manual adjustments we make to our building management systems.
	Since 1 April 2012 we have installed a system for recovering and recycling heat generated in the kitchen at our HQ building.
	More information, including DECC's Carbon Management Plan, can be found on our website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/saving _energy/what_doing/10_percent/low_carbon/lowcarbon.aspx

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change's external consultancy expenditure in (a) 2010-11 was £9,163,000 and in (b) 2011-12 £6,690,000.
	This figure excludes expenditure by the Department's arm's length bodies.

Exhaust Emissions: Large Good Vehicles

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the carbon footprint arising from lorries (a) delivering biomass to and (b) removing fly ash and other materials from biomass power stations in the last year for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: Biomass power generators above 50 kilowatts capacity are required within the renewables obligation to report on the greenhouse gas lifecycle of their output. This includes the emissions resulting from transporting the biomass feedstocks from where they were grown to the power station. It does not consider transport-related emissions for the removal of residual materials from the station.
	Reports covering biomass feedstocks used between April 2011 and March 2012 are due with Ofgem by 31 May this year.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time equivalent employees his Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed at the latest period for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: In May 2010, the Department of Energy and Climate Change had 1,036 full-time equivalent civil servants. As of 31 March 2012, there were 1,286 full-time equivalent civil servants.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited to his Department in the last two years.

Gregory Barker: The numbers of employees (a) leaving and (b) joining the Department of Energy and Climate Change, in the period 1 April 2010-31 March 2012 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Period Leavers Joiners 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 11 197 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 129 238 
		
	
	The numbers shown above relate to civil servants. Full-time equivalent data are not available for the full period above.

Minerals

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will consider giving mineral rights to communities and individual landowners that live near or above fracking sites.

Charles Hendry: The Petroleum Act 1998, like its predecessor the Petroleum Act 1934, vests the right to explore, drill for and produce oil and gas in the Crown, and empowers the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to issue licences enabling the licensee to carry out such activities, subject to other regulatory checks and permits. In general, the rights to other minerals rest with the landowner. I have no proposals for change in these matters.
	The holder of a petroleum licence however will need to acquire rights to use the owner's land (including for location of equipment) and access the oil or gas, in order to conduct drilling and production operations. The terms on which these rights are acquired are a matter for negotiation between the licensee and the relevant landowner(s).

National Grid

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to creating an open web-based register of grid connection applications by distribution network operators to improve transparency in the sector.

Charles Hendry: The independent regulator, Ofgem, has responsibility for overseeing the grid connection regime. Ofgem requires distribution network companies to publish Long Term Development Statements (LTDS) to ensure that anyone interested in connecting generation or demand can readily identify opportunities or constraints on the network. These statements include information on all connected generation and all generation that has been given a connection offer.
	The LTDSs do not include details of all grid connection applications. To do so could give a distorted picture of available capacity on the network, as there is no certainty that an application will result in an actual connection.

National Grid

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to making improvements to the grid connection process managed by distribution network operators.

Charles Hendry: The independent energy regulator, Ofgem, has responsibility for overseeing the grid connection process of distribution network operators (DNOs). In 2010, it introduced guaranteed standards of performance for connections, which establishes minimum connection timescales for DNOs to meet. In the first year of operation all standards have been met on more than 90% of occasions. Last month, it introduced requirements for DNOs to measure customer satisfaction. Ofgem has also introduced competition to the connection process to drive up connection performance.
	Ofgem's price control review for electricity distribution companies, which was launched earlier this year, will consider additional measures to improve connections to the network in line with DECC's broader energy and low-carbon policies. DECC's response to this consultation emphasised the importance of continuing to improve the connection service network companies provide.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: Since May 2010, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has abolished the following public bodies:
	The Renewables Advisory Board
	The UK Chemical Weapons Convention National Authority Advisory Committee
	The Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies
	No new public bodies have been established.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: Historically, the Department has not separately recorded expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises. Going forward, the Department will use a spend analysis tool developed by the Government Procurement Service to provide these data.
	Departmental records on late payment for all suppliers, including small and medium-sized enterprises can be seen by following the link to the Department's published prompt payment information:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/procurement/prompt_pay/prompt_pay.aspx

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: Historically, the Department has not separately recorded expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises. Going forward the Department will use a spend analysis tool developed by the Government Procurement Service to provide these data. This tool links departmental spend to suppliers with Dunn and Bradstreet data to identify small and medium-sized enterprises.

Procurement

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that payments to public sector contractors hired by his Department are made within 30 days.

Gregory Barker: The Government has set Departments a target of paying 80% of invoices from small and medium-sized entities within five working days of receipt of a valid invoice. The Department of Energy and Climate Change applies this target to all valid invoices, whether they are from public or private sector contractors and regardless of size. The Department has consistently exceeded this target without any change to our contractual terms and conditions. The statistics are published on the DECC website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/procurement/prompt_pay/prompt_pay.aspx
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change has signed-up to the “Prompt Payment Code” and has developed procurement policies in line with the Prompt Payment Code's recommended best practice.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many of his Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

Gregory Barker: Over the last two years, surplus staff have been redeployed where possible, and there were eight voluntary redundancies.

Security

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people who are not employees of his Department have been issued with security passes for his Department's building; and for what reason each such pass was issued.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 17 May 2012
	DECC non-staff passes are only given to security-cleared civil servants from other Government Departments who have a business requirement to visit DECC regularly in the course of their duties.
	As of 15 May 2012, there were 99 individuals who hold this pass.
	Additionally seven further individuals who support the Ministers hold a DECC pass, all of whom hold the appropriate minimum level of security clearance, apart from the Government Whips.
	Third-party ancillary staff also hold DECC passes, prior to being granted a pass, it must be confirmed they hold the correct level of security clearance. Providing details on numbers would incur disproportionate cost.

Western Power Distribution

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings he and Ministers in his Department have had with Western Power Distribution in the last 12 months.

Gregory Barker: Details of meetings between Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the departmental website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.asp

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Information Officers

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Attorney-General how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in the Law Officers' Departments and their public bodies since May 2010.

Edward Garnier: Expenses claimed by press officers for the Law Officers' Departments between 1 May 2010 and 16 May 2012 totalled £898.28.
	Of this, £793.48 was claimed by CPS press officers, nearly all on travel, accommodation and subsistence allowances.
	The Attorney-General’s Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Department (and, since 1 April 2012, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate) share the same press office, which claimed £79.80 in reimbursable expenses during the period. Press officer(s) working for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) claimed £25. No claims were made in respect of HMCPSI press office before 1 April 2012.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Dealing with the Past

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the outcome was of his talks with party leaders on dealing with the past; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: My discussions with party leaders on dealing with the past are ongoing.

Dealing with the Past

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which dates he met party leaders to discuss dealing with the past.

Owen Paterson: Upon taking office, I invited all party leaders to discuss the issue of dealing with the past, as part of a wider listening exercise the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) and I undertook on the issue. Following the Assembly motion, I again invited party leaders to discuss with me whether they thought any consensus could be achieved on the issue. I have now held several of these meetings with party leaders and plan further meetings to continue the discussions.

Egypt

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from organisations in Egypt on mechanisms for truth and reconciliation.

Owen Paterson: I have not received any representations from organisations in Egypt on mechanisms for truth and reconciliation.

Gerry McGeough

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on the case of Gerry McGeough.

Owen Paterson: I receive correspondence on a wide range of issues, including the case of Gerry McGeough.

Gerry McGeough

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the implications for the peace process in Northern Ireland of the continued incarceration of Gerry McGeough; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: Mr McGeough's appeal against the judgment in the Government's favour in his judicial review is due to be heard by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in June. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment further pending the final resolution of that matter.

Gerry McGeough

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will review the case of Gerry McGeough under paragraph 20 of the Good Friday Agreement.

Owen Paterson: Paragraph 20 of the Good Friday Agreement bears no relation to the case of Mr McGeough.

Good Friday Agreement

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of progress in the implementation of paragraph 20 of the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: Paragraph 20 of the Good Friday Agreement is a matter for the devolved Administration.

Good Friday Agreement

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are imprisoned or held on remand for alleged terrorist offences committed prior to the signing of the Good Friday agreement in 1998.

Owen Paterson: My Department does not hold this information. Prison issues are a matter for the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Pat Finucane

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the family of Pat Finucane since his decision not to hold a public inquiry into his murder.

Owen Paterson: I have not had any discussions with the family of Pat Finucane since I met them, together with the Prime Minister, on 11 October 2011 to inform them of the Government's decision to establish an independent review into the death of Pat Finucane.

Pat Finucane

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from the Irish Government on the murder of Pat Finucane.

Owen Paterson: I meet Irish Government Ministers regularly to discuss a range of issues relevant to Northern Ireland, including the case of Pat Finucane.

Pat Finucane

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress has been made on the De Silva review of the murder of Pat Finucane; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: Sir Desmond de Silva was appointed as Chairman of the Pat Finucane Review on 13 October 2011, and has been asked to provide a full public account by December 2012, for the purpose of its publication. The review is entirely independent of Government. Progress in the work of the review is a matter for Sir Desmond.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010;
	(2)  what proportion of his Department's contracts to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late under the Cabinet Office's definition since May 2010.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office's spend with SMEs has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, “Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On”:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Owen Paterson: My Department does not have any current plans to undertake a spend recovery audit. To date, no internal weaknesses have been identified in the controls with regard to payments to suppliers and/or fraud.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much (a) members of the Board and (b) senior executives of the Equality and Human Rights Commission incurred in expenses in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Expenses 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) Members of the Board (including the Chair) 11,186 6,997 5,765 
			 (b) Senior executives(1) 9,114 7,378 4,721 
			 (1) The EHRC's executive directors and its chief executive. 
		
	
	The expenses paid to individual Board members are published in the Equality and Human Rights Commission's annual report and accounts.

Furniture

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on (a) furniture, (b) artwork and (c) sculptures in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Category 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) Furniture 6,804 0 3,269 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Artwork 0 0 0 
			 (c) Sculptures 0 0 0

Hotels

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on (a) hotel accommodation and (b) hotel room hire in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Category 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) Hotel accommodation(1) 303,707 113,985 101,780 
			 (b) Hotel room hire 5,922 1,827 1,206 
			 (1) This is the full cost of hotel accommodation, including international accommodation. The actual cost to the EHRC is lower, as a substantial proportion (estimated at around 50%) of its international travel costs are covered by the meeting organisers and are subsequently reimbursed to the EHRC (for example, by the European Commission, the Commonwealth Institute, the Council of Europe). A detailed breakdown of the actual cost to the EHRC, taking into account amounts reimbursed, can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Training

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on (a) conferences, (b) staff away days and (c) sports events in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided.
	The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Category (1) 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) Conferences 54,199 4,842 8,078 
			 (b) Staff away days 75,624 12,902 0 
			 (c) Sports events 0 0 0 
			 (1) All information relates to internal staff events only. Costs include all related expenditure but exclude staff costs.

Travel

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on (a) first, (b) Club or business and (c) economy class air travel in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Category 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) First class air travel (1) 500 372 129 
			 (b) Club or business class air travel(1) 21,365 1,286 1,065 
			 (c) Economy class air travel(1) 61,817 34,874 20,632 
			 (1) This is the full cost of air travel, including international travel. The actual cost to the EHRC is lower, as a substantial proportion (estimated at around 50%) of its international travel costs are covered by the meeting organisers and are subsequently reimbursed to the EHRC (for example, by the European Commission, the Commonwealth Institute, the Council of Europe). A detailed breakdown of the actual cost to the EHRC, taking into account amounts reimbursed, can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Security

Thomas Docherty: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many passholders are permanently based in each building in the Commons part of the Parliamentary Estate; and how many such passholders are (a) hon. Members, (b) staff of the House by department and (c) hon. Members' staff.

John Thurso: Many staff work part-time, ‘hot desk' in offices or have roles which do not require office accommodation. The numbers located permanently in each building in the Commons part of the Parliamentary Estate have therefore been based on the available desk spaces. The number of desks available in each building is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Summary deskcount across House Of Commons Estate at 1 May 2012 
			    Department  
			 Location MP MP staff DCCS DIS DF DFIN HR&C PICT Other o ffices (1) Total 
			 Palace of Westminster 254 321 116 36 79 1 1 0 20 828 
			 Portcullis House 216 430 2 0 18 1 1 0 0 668 
			 Norman Shaw South 44 200 0 8 0 0 0 24 0 276 
			 Norman Shaw North 110 275 15 43 3 0 0 0 0 446 
			 1 Parliament Street 68 133 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 206 
			 1 Derby Gate 0 0 0 177 0 0 0 0 0 177 
			 7 Millbank 0 0 339 24 10 77 96 190 11 747 
			 14 Tothill Street 0 0 0 97 79 15 2 92 0 285 
			  692 1,359 474 385 192 94 100 306 31 3,633 
			 (1)Includes: The Speaker's Office; The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Office of the Chief Executive. 
		
	
	I have asked the Director General, Facilities to provide the hon. Member with additional briefing.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Allowances

Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much (a) members of the Board and (b) senior executives of the Electoral Commission incurred in expenses in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Gary Streeter: Expenses incurred by (a) members of the board and (b) senior executives of the Electoral Commission in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 are published on the Commission's website and are available at:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk/about-us/how-we-are-run/the-commissioners
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk/about-us/how-we-are-run/executive-team

Furniture

Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) sculptures, (b) furniture and (c) artwork in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Gary Streeter: The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on (a) sculptures, (b) furniture and (c) artwork in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) Sculptures 0 0 0 
			 (b) Furniture 5,731 59,203 2,050 
			 (c) Artwork 0 0 0 
		
	
	In December 2010, the commission relocated its largest office resulting in a reduction of ongoing accommodation costs by over £0.5 million each year. To achieve these savings the commission moved to cheaper commercial premises outside Westminster and reduced the overall space required by moving to team-based desk sharing. The costs for new furniture for the relocation were kept to a minimum by recycling a significant amount of existing furniture, including desks and chairs, however suitable lockers and cabinets had to be purchased to establish the desk sharing arrangements and thus reduce ongoing annual costs.

Hotels

Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) hotel accommodation and (b) hotel room hire in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Gary Streeter: The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on hotel accommodation in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 (1) 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Hotel accommodation 57,610 41,189 37,564 
			 (1 )The figures presented above do not include costs for the Boundary Committee for England (now the Local Government Boundary Commission for England) which was part of the Electoral Commission until 1 April 2010. 
		
	
	Costs include accommodation for observers at elections and accommodation for staff overseeing the referendum in Wales in 2010-11 and the referendum on the voting system for UK parliamentary elections in 2011-12.
	The commission is not able to provide figures for hotel room hire as these costs are included in the overall costs for events and conferences. The total costs for conferences and events held to support the electoral events taking place each year are provided in the following table; in 2010-11 this included activities to support the referendum in Wales and in 2011-12 this included activities to support the referendum on the UK parliamentary voting system.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Conference/events held 154,493 149,440 198,245

Logos

Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on items branded with its logo in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Gary Streeter: The Commission has not spent any money on items branded with the Commission's logo in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Training

Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) conferences, (b) staff away days and (c) sports events in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Gary Streeter: The information is as follows:
	(a) The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on conferences in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 (1) 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Conferences attended 32,047 10,361 5,702 
			 Conference/events held to support delivery of polls 154,493 149,440 198,245 
		
	
	The total amount recorded as spent on conferences each year can be analysed between those conferences staff and Commissioners attend and those events the Commission organises to support the electoral events taking place each year; in 2011-12 this included activities to support the referendum on the UK parliamentary voting system.
	(b) The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on staff and Commissioner planning and development days including the annual staff conference in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 (1) 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Staff and Commissioner planning and development days including the annual staff conference 18,093 8,568 14,870 
			 (1) The figures presented do not include costs for the Boundary Committee for England (now the Local Government Boundary Commission for England) which was part of the Electoral Commission until 1 April 2010. 
		
	
	(c) Expenditure on sports events in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 was nil.

Travel

Stuart Andrew: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission spent on (a) first and (b) standard class rail travel in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Gary Streeter: The following table shows the amount the Electoral Commission spent on (a) first and (b) standard class rail travel in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (a) First class rail travel 14,129 2,205 54,575 
			 (b) Standard class rail travel 81,030 52,828 (1)— 
			 (1 )Indicates brace 
		
	
	The total figure for 2009-10 (£95,159) includes an amount of £18,859 spent on rail travel by the Boundary Committee for England (now the Local Government Boundary Commission for England) before it became a separate organisation on 1 April 2010. The Commission is unable to split the costs for the Boundary Committee in 2009-10 between first and standard class.
	In August 2010, the Commission revised its travel and subsistence policy. First-class travel is now only allowed if it is more economical than standard class and is specifically approved by the chief executive. As a result of this policy change, the Commission no longer classifies and records first and standard class rail travel separately.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has made an analysis of the discussions in the European Parliament on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and its possible effect on internet freedom.

Edward Vaizey: The final Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) text has been reviewed by Government lawyers from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the European Commission Legal Services, who confirm that ACTA will not create new intellectual property rights, laws or criminal offences in the UK or EU. As such, the agreement does not affect current internet freedoms.

Broadband

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to ensure that small businesses benefit from BDUK broadband funding.

Edward Vaizey: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's) may benefit in two ways from BDUK £530 million broadband funding. Firstly, through subcontracts as part of the delivery supply chain, for example in carrying out civil works, and secondly through increased business opportunities from the improved connectivity. Both the rural and urban programmes require local authorities bidding for funding to demonstrate that their proposals fit with the Government's approach to using SMEs in delivering Government projects. The requirements of the Urban Broadband Fund explicitly require cities to link the roll-out of faster broadband to increasing the capabilities of SMEs.
	In addition there is a £20 million joint DEFRA-BDUK Rural Community Broadband Fund aimed at community projects, for which smaller suppliers could be beneficiaries and small companies located in those communities could be beneficiaries from improved broadband connectivity.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

John Penrose: The total level of carbon emissions for the requested periods is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 As at April each year Carbon dioxide emissions (kg of carbon) 
			 2010-11 1,064,119 
			 2011-12 964,590

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what measures his Department introduced to reduce its carbon emissions in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

John Penrose: In 2010, 2011 and 2012 the Department introduced the following measures to reduce its carbon emissions:
	2010
	Reduced running times of fan coil units
	Lighting adjustments
	Sequencing of the boiler and chiller
	Reduced cooling in the data centre
	Virtualisation of the data centre
	2011
	Re-timing of building plant to reduce operational running times
	2012
	Continuation of strategy to ensure building plant runs at its maximum energy efficiency.

Casinos and Bingo Clubs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of each response received to the 1996 paper Casinos and Bingo Clubs, A Consultation Paper.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport no longer hold these documents.

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who were previously employed in any capacity by (i) the Conservative party or its elected representatives and (ii) the Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(2)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative party and (ii) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(3)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(4)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who previously held an elected position as a member of the (a) Conservative party and (b) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

John Penrose: As part of this Government's Transparency agenda, since 2010 all contracts over the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder.

Copyright: Internet

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has made an analysis of the recent High Court ruling requiring internet service providers to block access to the website The Pirate Bay and the effect of this ruling on internet freedom.

Edward Vaizey: We have not carried out such an analysis. However, it is important to bear in mind that the ruling was made in the High Court, and the action taken by internet service providers are therefore based on a judicial decision that will have taken care to ensure that the order was proportionate and in accordance with all surrounding law, including on freedom of expression and other freedoms.

Cultural Heritage

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to protect and promote intangible cultural heritage in (a) England and (b) other parts of the UK.

John Penrose: We recognise the importance of intangible cultural heritage, principally through the Heritage Lottery Fund, who provide grants for a wide variety of intangible cultural heritage projects, including heritage skills.

Cultural Heritage

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated to the promotion and protection of intangible cultural heritage in each year since 2003.

John Penrose: The Department does not directly fund intangible cultural heritage. However, the Heritage Lottery Fund, in addition to funding work to buildings, collections and landscapes, has invested £256 million in over 19,000 intangible heritage projects across the UK.

Food: Marketing

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to prevent children from being exposed to online marketing of high fat, sugar and salt food and drinks.

Edward Vaizey: The rules covering online advertising are the responsibility of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who are independent of Government. The ASA's codes specifically recognise the social imperative of ensuring that advertising is responsible and that children and young people are suitably protected from harmful or inappropriate advertising. The ASA's non-broadcast Advertising Code, which covers online promotion (including promotional activity by companies on their own websites, on social networking sites and the use of advergames and user-generated content), already contains strict rules on all food and drink advertising aimed at children.

Members: Correspondence

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse of 29 March 2012 on telecommunications for deaf people and Early Day Motion 1438, Session 2010-12, on access to telecommunications for deaf people.

Edward Vaizey: I will be sending a response to the hon. Member shortly.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010.

John Penrose: The number of the Departments arm's length bodies (ALBs) has reduced from 55 to 47 since May 2010. Four ALBs have been abolished, four declassified and two transferred to other Government Departments. Two ALBs have been added to the Department's portfolio since May 2010. The British Film Institute was classified as a public body in June 2011 and London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a public corporation in July 2011.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

John Penrose: There is a statutory requirement to pay all valid invoices within 30 calendar days. In addition, since May 2010 the Government introduced a target requirement for all Departments to pay 80% of private sector supplier invoices within five working days of receipt. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not distinguish between small, medium or large suppliers in its treatment of invoices.
	Since May 2010 the cumulative proportion of invoices paid after 30 days was 0.5%.
	Between May 2010 and March 2011 the proportion paid after five days was 26.6% and in the year April 2011 to March 2012 the proportion fell to 16.9%.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

John Penrose: The proportion of procured expenditure made by the Department that has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises, for which figures are currently available, is 36.3%, for financial year 2010-11. The Department has not yet assessed the proportion for the current financial year to date.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

John Penrose: The Cabinet Office is currently identifying procurement options to ensure efficiency with the rollout of spend-recovery audits and, once these have been established, guidance will be issued to Departments to support them in meeting the Government commitment to undertake and complete a spend-recovery audit by December 2013. In the context of its own circumstances, the Department will consider later this financial year what approach to take towards meeting this commitment.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what strategic or transitional risk registers are held by the national lottery and its distributors.

John Penrose: The national lottery regulator, the National Lottery Commission, and the operator, Camelot, both produce strategic risk registers to assess and manage risk. Similarly, lottery distributing bodies will produce corporate risk registers to meet expectations for recognising, managing, tracking and reappraising the risks they face. However, the detailed application of risk management principles, including the necessary documentation, is a matter for each organisation to determine.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The Department holds a number of project, programme and local risk registers. It does not hold high-level strategic risk registers for specific policy areas and does not classify any of its risk registers as “transitional”.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) currently provides facilities for one full-time employee (FTE) to act as Chair of the departmental trade union side, to work as a full-time trade union representative on a range of elected duties and act on behalf of trade union members when required. Five members of staff work on trade union activities on a part-time basis.
	The Royal Parks Agency (TRP) employs one staff member on a part-time basis for trade union activities.
	DCMS does not hold this information for its arm's length bodies (ALBs). Accordingly, I have asked the chief executives of our ALBs to write directly to my hon. Friend with this information. Copies of the responses will be placed in the House Libraries.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies.

John Penrose: A Partnership Agreement between DCMS and the trade unions came into effect in April 2001. I am arranging for copies of the document to be placed in the House Libraries.
	We are unable to answer this question for our arm's length bodies (ALBs). Accordingly, I have asked the chief executives of our ALBs to write directly to my hon. Friend the Member for Witham with this information. Copies of the responses will be placed in the House Libraries.

VisitBritain

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what budget his Department allocated to VisitBritain in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how much was allocated to each (i) region and (ii) destination management organisation in each such year.

John Penrose: The grant in aid the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) allocated to VisitBritain and VisitEngland, for the years requested, can be found in the following table.
	
		
			 VisitBritain and VisitEngland grant in aid 
			  £ million 
			 2010-11 40.323 
			 2011-12 47.771 
			 2012-13 48.672 
		
	
	DCMS does not fund individual regions or destination management organisations.

TRANSPORT

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of payments made by her Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport monitors its payment performance for all vendor invoices in accordance with the criteria laid down by government, namely:
	80% of vendor invoices should be paid within 5 working days of receipt.
	98% of invoices should be paid within 30 working days of receipt.
	The full statistics for the last 12 months are published on the Department for Transport’s website at the following address:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/prompt-payment-statistics/statistics.pdf
	Data are not compiled on payment performance specifically in respect of small and medium-sized enterprises. I regret that this analysis could only be provided other than at disproportionate cost.

Carbon Emissions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Energy and Climate Change on future UK carbon budgets.

Norman Baker: Ministers and officials from the Department for Transport have had, and continue to have, regular discussions with their counterparts in the Department of Energy and Climate Change on this and other issues. This Department played a key role, for example, in inter-departmental discussions on the level of the fourth carbon budget, which was announced in May 2011, and in the development of the Government's Carbon Plan, which was published in December 2011.

Carbon Emissions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to reduce the UK's share of emissions from international aviation and shipping originating in the UK.

Norman Baker: In terms of international aviation, airlines were included in the Emissions Trading System on 1 January 2012. From that point, CO2 emissions from all flights arriving and departing from EU airports were capped, and airlines will be required to surrender allowances equivalent to their emissions.
	While there is no agreed international methodology for attributing international shipping emissions to individual countries, the Department for Transport is actively involved in the work of the International Maritime Organisation to reduce global CO2 emissions from international shipping.

Carbon Emissions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when her Department plans to respond to the Committee on Climate Change recommendations on including the UK's share of emissions from international aviation and shipping in UK carbon budgets.

Norman Baker: In line with the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2008, by 31 December 2012 the Government will either lay regulations explaining the circumstances in which emissions from international aviation and shipping will be included in UK carbon budgets, or lay a report before Parliament explaining why regulations have not been made.

Carbon Emissions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking on implementing the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change that the UK's share of emissions from international aviation and shipping be included in the UK's carbon budgets.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and the Department of Energy and Climate Change are working closely with other Government departments in considering our response to the Committee on Climate Change's advice on whether to include international aviation and shipping emissions in the UK's 2050 target and associated carbon budgets.

Driving Offences

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the data for (a) seat belt wearing and (b) mobile telephone use by drivers to be available for (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Michael Penning: Data on seat belt wearing and mobile phone use by drivers for 2010 and 2011 have not been collected and there are currently no plans to collect these data in the immediate future.
	Details of recorded offences for failing to wear a seat belt and using a handheld mobile phone while driving can be found on the Home Office and Ministry of Justice websites:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/motoring-tables.xls
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/immigration-tabs-q4-2011/fixed-penalty-notice-1011-tabs?view=Binary

Driving under Influence

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information she has available on the number of road traffic (a) violations and (b) accidents in which a driver has consumed alcohol below the legal limit.

Michael Penning: Information about the quantity of alcohol in the blood of reported road accident fatalities aged 16 or over, who die within 12 hours of a road accident in Great Britain, is collected by the Department, from Coroners in England and Wales and Procurators Fiscal in Scotland. It is then matched with the data on the circumstances of the accidents from the STATS 19 police accident reporting form.
	The Department is also separately supplied with data (so far by 40 out of the 43 police forces in England and Wales) on the results of roadside breath alcohol screening tests, administered by police, using recently introduced digital recording equipment. The equipment is able to record and report the specific quantity of any alcohol present in a person’s system at the roadside, the reason for the test (such as a road traffic collision or a moving traffic offence), the age and gender of the person being tested and the date and time it was carried out.
	The Department publishes statistics based on these data sources on its website, at the following links:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/road-accidents-and-safety-annual-report-2010/
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics?orderby=title&post_type =table&s=ras51

Driving: Licensing

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions there were for the (a) purchase and (b) sale of fraudulent drivers' licences online in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	Other than where specified in a statute, centrally held information does not include all the circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify from information held on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database those specific cases where a fraudulent driver’s licence has been purchased or sold or whether or not this offence occurred online.

Driving: Licensing

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the numbers of fraudulent drivers' licences sold online.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport has not carried out any assessment about the number of fraudulent driving licences that have been sold online.
	Intelligence gathered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) indicates that websites which claim to provide genuine driving licences are actually scams. Money is taken from members of the public but no driving licence is produced. Intelligence about websites that appear to be offering driving licences for sale is passed to the police to allow the appropriate action to be taken. The police service is the only organisation within the UK able to combat internet-based criminality.
	Genuine DVLA-issued driving licences employ sophisticated physical security features making them among the most secure documents in the world. The DVLA also provides information to stakeholders on various security features that should be present in genuine driving licences to help them identify any false licences that may be produced. The DVLA works closely with other Government Departments and enforcement agencies to tackle identity crime.

Highways Agency

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of senior staff left the Highways Agency in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: In 2010-11, the Highways Agency had 29 Senior Civil Servants (SCS) at the start of the financial year and there were no leavers. In 2011-12, there were 30 Senior Civil Servants (SCS) at the start of the financial year and there were fewer than five leavers.

Highways Agency

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the budget was of the Highways Agency in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; what proportion of its budget was for road repairs (i) in each region and (ii) nationally in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Highways Agency opening programme budget excluding depreciation was set at:
	(a) £2,750 million in 2010-11
	(b) £2,406 million in 2011-12
	(c) £2,502 million in 2012-13
	The following table shows the proportion of the budget that was for road repairs (i) for each operational Highways Agency region and (ii) nationally in each year.
	
		
			 Proportion of budget for road repairs 
			 Percentage 
			   2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 (i) North West 2 4 5 
			  Yorkshire and North East 4 3 3 
			  South West 2 3 3 
			  South East 3 6 5 
			  East 1 2 2 
			  Midlands 4 5 6 
			 (ii) National Total 16 22 23

Midland Main Line

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the potential benefits for Kettering of upgrading the midland main line at Derby, Leicester and Market Harborough;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the potential negative consequences of electrifying the midland main line without first upgrading the line, including the remodelling at Derby;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the expected reduction in journey times arising from the upgrade and then electrification of the midland main line.

Theresa Villiers: Network Rail is assessing the business case for upgrading and electrifying the midland main line which could enable some reductions in passenger journey times if accompanied by works at various locations including Derby, Leicester, and Market Harborough. Network Rail has advised that electrification alone would have little impact on passenger journey times. The Department for Transport expects to announce a decision on rail investment in the period from 2014 to 2019 by July 2012.

Midland Main Line

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to make a decision on the possible upgrade and electrification of the midland main line.

Theresa Villiers: The Government expects to announce decisions on rail investment in the period from 2014 to 2019 by July 2012.

Olympic Games 2012

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received from (a) pharmacies and (b) other businesses in London on receiving adequate supplies during the road restrictions in place during the London 2012 Olympics.

Theresa Villiers: Within the consultation process, the Department received a small number of representations from businesses in London. ODA, TfL and other delivery partners have undertaken extensive local engagement on the planned restrictions which were taken into account in finalising decisions. At the heart of our planning is to seek to minimise the impact on normal business caused by temporary measures necessary to deliver a successful games.
	Where practical, we advise businesses to have non-perishable items such as stationery delivered before the games, or to have deliveries re-timed to arrive outside of peak periods to reduce the amount of delivery traffic on the roads during the day.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of her Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport's spend with SMEs has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, ‘Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On’:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Railways: North West

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what schemes under the Northern Hub project have (a) been allocated and (b) yet to be allocated public money.

Theresa Villiers: We have announced two Northern Hub schemes comprising £85 million for the Ordsall Chord and associated works, and £130 million for Sheffield-Manchester capacity improvements and line speed improvements between Manchester and Preston, Manchester and Bradford and Manchester and Sheffield. We have also announced, subject to confirmation of the business case, £290 million funding for a related scheme; namely the electrification of the railway between Manchester, Leeds and the East Coast Main Line. We will be considering the remaining Northern Hub schemes in the High Level Output Specification which will be published in July 2012.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of her Department's employees have been made redundant in the last two years.

Norman Baker: In 2011-12, fewer than five employees from the Department for Transport (Centre) were made compulsorily redundant. No staff from the Department's agencies (Driving Standards Agency, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Highways Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and Government Car and Dispatch Agency) have been made compulsorily redundant. Additionally in 2011-12, 208 staff left the Department, including agencies, under voluntary redundancy schemes.
	In the previous financial year (2010-11) no employees were made compulsorily redundant, although 248 employees left the Department, including agencies, under voluntary redundancy schemes.

Roads: Accidents

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of road traffic accidents that involved (a) cyclists, (b) motorcycles and (c) pedestrians in the London borough of Bexley in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			 The number of reported personal injury road accidents in London borough of Bexley: 2005-10 
			  Number of accidents (1)  involving 
			  (a) Cyclists (b) Motorcycles (c) Pedestrians 
			 2006 30 79 99 
			 2007 34 75 97 
			 2008 35 90 86 
			 2009 35 74 81 
			 2010 54 62 84 
			 (1) Accidents involving more than one of the road user types listed will be counted in multiple columns.

Roads: Accidents

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the possible effect on numbers of road collisions of bringing in a more stringent eyesight standard for motorists.

Michael Penning: Driver licensing is governed by European law which specifies the minimum health, including eyesight, standard that must be applied in all member states. In February 2011 an impact assessment was published to support the public consultation on changes to the minimum EU standards. The assessment is available on the DVLA website.

Roads: Accidents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatalities and (b) injuries resulted from accidents involving cyclists on the pavement in each year for which figures are available, broken down by location.

Michael Penning: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Casualties in reported personal injury road accidents, involving a pedal cyclist on the pavement: Great Britain: 1999 to 2010 
			 Casualties 
			  England Wales Scotland Great Britain 
			  Killed Injured Killed Injured Killed Injured Killed Injured 
			 1999 8 963 0 15 0 16 8 994 
			 2000 6 961 0 29 0 14 6 1,004 
			 2001 1 869 0 27 0 22 1 918 
			 2002 3 755 0 32 0 21 3 808 
			 2003 2 757 0 17 1 21 3 795 
			 2004 3 833 0 30 0 17 3 880 
			 2005 5 838 0 18 0 33 5 889 
			 2006 7 738 0 18 0 37 7 793 
			 2007 4 760 0 18 0 27 4 805 
			 2008 5 733 0 12 0 33 5 778 
			 2009 2 705 0 17 0 22 2 744 
			 2010 3 652 0 20 0 28 3 700

Shipping

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department have had with (i) trades unions and (ii) the Chamber of Shipping at which the definition of a one-port voyage in the (A) maritime and (B) offshore energy sector was discussed since May 2010.

Michael Penning: None.

Shipping

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress her Department has made in defining a one-port voyage in the (a) maritime and (b) offshore energy sector since May 2010; what legal advice she has received on this matter since that date; and if she will publish any such advice.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport has not undertaken any work in the last two years on matters pertaining to the definition of one-port voyage in the maritime and offshore energy sector.
	As a matter of general policy, and in keeping with the approach taken by other public bodies, the Department does not disclose any legal advice it may receive, and does not disclose whether any such advice has been sought or obtained in any particular case.

Speed Limits

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Strategic Road Safety Framework, when her Department plans to publish revised guidance to local authorities on speed limits in urban areas.

Michael Penning: We plan to revise and reissue the guidance on speed limits, with the aim of increasing flexibility for local authorities, later this year. We propose to start consultation on the draft in the next few weeks.
	The intention to revise the guidance, and to provide a speed limit appraisal tool to help local authorities to assess the full costs and benefits of any proposed schemes, was announced in the Strategic Framework for Road Safety (May 2011), paragraph 3.26. The guidance will cover local speed limits in both urban and rural areas. The Tool, which is under development, will be launched with the revised guidance later this year.

Transport

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding her Department has allocated to (a) road maintenance, (b) the Network Rail passenger budget and (c) the local authority major transport teams budget between 2011-12 and 2014-15.

Norman Baker: (a) The Department is providing over £3 billion for the Highways Maintenance Block grant to local authorities between 2011-12 and 2014-15. The profile of this grant is £806m in 2011/12, £779m in 2012/13, £750m in 2013/14 and £707m in 2014/15.
	In addition, and in recognition of the abnormal damage caused by the exceptional winter weather at the end of 2010, the Department is providing a further £200m to authorities in England to repair potholes on the local road network. Further details of this funding are available on the Department’s website at the following link:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/extra-funds-for-pothole-repairs-in-england
	The Department allocated over £1.6 billion for Highways Agency Maintenance between 2011-12 and 2014-15. The profile of this grant is £416m in 2011/12, £464m in 2012/13, £391m in 2013/14 and £389m in 2014/15.
	(b) The Spending Review allocated over £18bn for rail investment over the period 2011-12 to 2014-15. Funding provided for rail covers two main areas—the Network Grant, ‘which covers funding for Network Rail for the provision of rail infrastructure, and Support for Passenger Rail Services (SPRS), which is for franchised rail services. This funding covers a control period that differs from the spending review period. The current control period (control period 4) runs from 2009/10 to 2013/14.
	The Department's financial commitment to the rail industry is set out in a suite of contracts between the Department and franchised passenger rail operators and Network Rail. Contracts with the train operating companies are available on the Department’s website at
	www.dft.gov.uk/topics/rail-passenger-franchises/public-register
	A copy of the Deed of Grant between the Department and Network Rail is available on the Office of Rail Regulation’s website at:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk
	and in the library of the House. In addition, a summary of the forward financial commitments in respect of these contracts is contained in the “Other Financial Commitments” section of the Department’s annual report”.
	Network Rail’s funding settlement for Control Period 5 (2014-19) has yet to be fixed. The 2014-15 budget for Network Rail will be determined as part of the Office of Rail Regulation’s Periodic Review.
	(c) Between 2011-12 and 2014-15 the Department has allocated over £1.5 billion for local authority major schemes. The profile of this budget is £418m in 2011/12, £364m in 2012/13, £335m in 2013/14 and £427m in 2014/15.
	Further details of the funding provided to local authorities is available in the example local authority transport settlement letter which is on Department’s website at:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/local-transport-capital-block-funding/settlement-letter-2010.pdf

Transport: Exports

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will respond to the findings of the British Chambers of Commerce's Exporting is Good for Britain and Transport Connections Support Trade report; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to the British Chambers of Commerce's report, Exporting is Good for Britain and Transport Connections Support Trade, if she will make it her policy to adopt the British Chambers of Commerce's recommendations on measures to improve the quality and reduce the cost to businesses of local and international transport connections; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Government is committed to maintaining a dynamic, sustainable transport system that supports UK economic growth and competitiveness. I welcome the report from the British Chamber of Commerce and will take its findings and recommendations into consideration when creating and reviewing policies.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Accountancy

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in his Department had (a) a recognised accountancy qualification and (b) the Associate Chartered Accountant qualification in each of the last three years; and how many staff in his Department were working towards a recognised accountancy qualification in each such year.

Bob Neill: holding answer 15 May 2012
	The available information on the numbers of staff with a recognised accountancy qualification in each of the last three years is as follows. The figures relate to staff in post on 1 September.
	
		
			  DCLG (1) Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies 
			 2009-10 30 76 
			 2010-11 30 72 
			 2011-12 39 47 
			 (1) Theses figures do not include all qualified staff working in non-finance posts and the extent of the coverage of these may have varied over time. 
		
	
	There were five employees in DCLG who held the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales or the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland qualification as at the end of March 2012 and 12 members of staff who held the Associated Chartered Certified Accountancy qualification as at the end of March 2012. Of the latter, one qualified for membership in 2009 and one in 2011. Corresponding information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	As at the end of March 2012, DCLG had 32 trainees working towards a recognised accountancy qualification.

Audit Commission

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1234, if he will provide a breakdown of the £650 million saving over five years expected from the planned abolition of the Audit Commission.

Bob Neill: Working estimates from the draft impact assessment of local audit reforms show that there will be a saving to the public purse of £650 million over the next five years as a result of the programme to disband the Audit Commission and reform local audit. This figure (which is net of transitional costs) comprises savings from the end of inspection and assessment work, a reduction in audit fees as a result of transferring the work to the private sector, and the slimming down and then closure of the Audit Commission. A full breakdown of the savings will be published in the impact assessment alongside the draft Local Audit Bill.

EU Grants and Loans

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the European Regional Development Fund has been (a) contracted and (b) paid to projects in each region; and how much funding from the European Regional Development Fund remains to be allocated in each region.

Bob Neill: holding answer 17 May 2012
	The following figures are to the end of April 2012:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 European, Regional Development Fund Programme Contracted Paid and declared to the European Commission Remaining Pipeline projects  
			 East Midlands 131.5 94.8 99.5 61 
			 East of England 69.2 25.80 26.7 118 
			 London 113.37 72.34 43.48 33 
			 North East 206.37 140.05 121.54 74 
			 North West 459.3 317.0 166.6 92 
			 South East 12.97 5.57 7.55 4 
			 South West Competitiveness 52.946 35.95 52.751 33 
			 South West Convergence—Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 296.18 136.37 92.204 114 
			 West Midlands 215.90 91.10 128.30 99 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 303.80 213.90 184.68 273 
			 Source: European Regional Development Fund Management Information Report May 2012 and individual monthly programme reports on pipeline. 
		
	
	All European Regional Development Fund programmes met their 2011 spending targets. 63% of the money is contractually committed and we are about 2/3 of the way through the programme as programmes have until the end of 2015 to complete spending. A good pipeline of projects is coming through with some 93% of the total allocation contracted or awaiting contract.

Housing: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what residential properties in Newcastle previously owned by the North East Regional Development Authority (a) were transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and (b) are currently on offer for sale by the HCA; and what processes are in place to support existing tenants of these properties.

Andrew Stunell: The Homes and Communities Agency have informed me that no residential properties in Newcastle were transferred to them from the North East Regional Development Agency, The list of properties transferred from the regional development agencies to the Homes and Communities Agency has been published on the BIS website and is available at:
	www.bis.gov.uk/rda-assets

Land: Registration

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to indemnify local authorities against settlement costs associated with claims in respect of land search fees.

Andrew Stunell: Several private property search companies have lodged claims against local authorities in England and Wales for restitution for fees paid by the companies to local authorities for information used in land searches carried out as part of the house buying process. The basis of the claims is the contention that the EU Environmental Information Regulations 2004 prohibited local authorities for charging for the provision of this information.
	As this matter is the subject of ongoing litigation, it would not be appropriate to comment at this time.

Meetings

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) senior officials in his Department have met representatives of (i) the Institute for Public Policy Research, (ii) the Taxpayers' Alliance, (iii) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (iv) the Child Poverty Action Group, (v) ResPublica, (vi) the Centre for Social Justice and (vii) Policy Exchange; and if he will publish the minutes and agendas of these meetings.

Bob Neill: Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/transparencyingovernment/ministerialdata/
	Details of officials' meetings with external organisations are not held centrally and it would entail disproportionate cost to collate this information.

Mitzvah Day UK

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding he has allocated to Mitzvah Day UK; and on what basis.

Andrew Stunell: My Department has allocated £35,000 to the organisation Mitzvah Day in the present financial year, to enable it to perform a central co-ordinating role for a programme called ‘A Year of Service’. The funding is a contribution towards the employment of a dedicated worker to work with faith communities, the development and maintenance of a website, and monitoring of projects. ‘A Year of Service’ is promoting and linking up faith-based volunteering during the Diamond Jubilee year, with each of nine historic faith communities in turn hosting a day or days of volunteering and inviting others to join in.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010.

Bob Neill: Since May 2010 the Department has abolished eight arm’s length bodies. The Department has not established any new bodies in that time. A further three are expected to close over the course of 2012.

Non-domestic Rates

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much revenue was raised from business rates on (a) small and medium-sized enterprises, (b) micro businesses and (c) other businesses in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and what proportion of the total was raised from (A) small and medium-sized enterprises and (B) micro businesses.

Bob Neill: The information requested is not held centrally.

Non-domestic Rates: Charities

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has provided to local authorities on the application of business rate relief in respect of properties that are used wholly or mainly for charitable purposes.

Bob Neill: None. The eligibility criteria for charity relief are set out in the Local Government Finance Act 1988. It is for individual authorities to decide whether the criteria has been met, taking into account relevant case law. Ultimately, interpretation of the law is a matter for the courts.

Planning Inspectorate

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will ask the Planning Inspectorate to make it its policy to photocopy documents from the public rather than asking the public to provide three copies of their representations.

Bob Neill: The Planning Inspectorate actively encourages the public to communicate electronically when participating in the appeals process. Local authorities advise third parties of the submission of an appeal and the Planning Inspectorate's model notification letter encourages online submissions via the Planning Portal, e-mail to the case officer, or submission in writing if the third party does not have internet access. Only in the latter case are three hard copies of the submission requested.
	The requirement to send three copies of any postal comments helps meet the Planning Inspectorate's statutory commitment to provide copies of all comments to the appellant and the local planning authority. If routinely undertaken, there would be an added administrative burden of photocopying at cost to the general taxpayer. I do not, therefore, intend to instruct the Planning Inspectorate on a policy in this matter.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010;
	(2)  what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Bob Neill: The proportion of late payments made by my Department (excluding the arm’s length bodies) to small and medium-sized enterprises between May 2010 and March 2012 was 4%. An invoice is considered late if it not paid within five working days. This five-day requirement is more demanding than the 10-day target that operated under the last administration.
	The proportion of my Department's expenditure (excluding arm’s length bodies) on procurement with small and medium-sized enterprises between May 2010 and March 2012 was 11%. DCLG has agreed four tasks that will increase engagement with small and medium-sized enterprises (i.e. updating our website with information to help these organisations understand how to participate in our procurements, delivering product surgeries, breaking larger procurements into smaller lots and publishing a pipeline of upcoming procurement opportunities). This is an ongoing strategy and we have implemented the necessary changes and procedures ahead of time. This is helping us contribute to the overall 25% target set by the Prime Minister.
	We do not centrally hold spend data on small and medium-sized enterprises for our arm’s length bodies for financial year 2010-11; however, for 2011-12 where data are available, the proportion of spend on small and medium-sized enterprises for the Department and its arm’s length bodies was 21.4 %.
	Annex B of the Cabinet Office report, "Making Government business more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises—One Year On" also contains information on my Department's spend with small and medium-sized enterprises up to Quarter 3 of 2011-12. This can be found at the following website:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Bob Neill: The Department continuously conducts checks and balances to audit the payments process and identify overpayments and causes of fraud. However, DCLG entered into a contract with PRGX UK Ltd on 23 April 2012 to undertake an independent spend recovery audit of payments made in the period 2006-07 to present. The audit is expected to commence in June 2012.

Shingle Recycling: Dungeness

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to conducting a review of the proposal by Kent county council for shingle recycling at Dungeness.

Bob Neill: Since January 2012, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), has received five letters drawing his attention to this proposal.
	I understand that the application is currently under consideration by Kent county council. It has the statutory responsibility for considering this proposal and has to determine it in the light of any development plan for the area and any other material planning considerations, including any representations received.
	As the Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role in the planning process, with respect to call-ins and appeals, it would be inappropriate for me to express an opinion, as it may come before the Secretary of State at a later stage.
	Should the council refuse this permission, the Secretary of State has no involvement, unless the applicant subsequently appeals against the council's decision.

Telephone Services

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many call centres provide services for his Department and the bodies for which he is responsible; and how many such call centres are based abroad.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government provides three public facing call centres:
	The first is a public enquiry service that operates across DCLG and is the primary means for the public to request information and contact the Department.
	The second is the Planning Inspectorate infrastructure appeal helpline.
	The third is the newly created hotline to support the National Planning Policy Framework created by the Planning Inspectorate to provide expert advice.
	All three call centres are based within the UK.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies.

Bob Neill: The following list shows which bodies have facility time agreements with trade unions. Copies of these agreements have been placed in the Library of the House.
	Formal  a greements
	Department for Communities and Local Government
	The Homes & Communities Agency
	The Audit Commission
	The Planning Inspectorate
	Local Government Ombudsman
	Valuation Tribunal Service
	Independent Housing Ombudsman Ltd.
	The Fire Service College do not have a formal facility time agreement but would discuss the arrangement of facility time and trade union representatives with the trade union side.
	The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Valuation Tribunal for England, Building Regulations Advisory Committee, Architects Registration Board, West Northants Development Corporation, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and the Leasehold Advisory Service do not have any trade union representative.
	The Government have announced their intention to commence a consultation shortly with the civil service trade union on limiting the amount of paid time civil servants can spend on trade union duties and activities, and ending the practice of having civil servants engaged full-time in trade union representative roles.

Wind Power: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on onshore wind-farms.

Bob Neill: There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), and the Scottish Government about onshore wind farms.

EDUCATION

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Tim Loughton: We hold details of organisations in receipt of payments for consultancy or other services. We do not hold any further detail about individuals within those organisations to know whether they were employed in any capacity by the Conservative party or the Liberal Democrat party. To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs to the Department.
	It is the Department's policy to publish all suitable contracts in either Contracts Finder
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk
	the Official Journal of the European Union
	http://ted.europa.eu/TED/main/HomePage.do
	or other publications relevant to the subject matter of the contract. A suitable contract is one with a value over £20,000 and where the goods or services are not available via an existing framework agreement. Contracts with a value below £20,000 and which are not available from a framework agreement are competitively tendered by selecting suitable organisations to bid based on objective criteria.

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who previously held an elected position as a member of the (a) Conservative party and (b) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Tim Loughton: We hold details of organisations in receipt of payments for consultancy or other services. We do not hold any further detail about individuals within those organisations to know whether they held an elected position as a member of the Conservative party or the Liberal Democrat party. To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs to the Department.
	It is the Department's policy to publish all suitable contracts in either Contracts Finder at this link:
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk
	the Official Journal of the European Union:
	http://ted.europa.eu/TED/main/HomePage.do
	or other publications relevant to the subject matter of the contract. A suitable contract is one with a value over £20,000 and where the goods or services are not available via an existing framework agreement. Contracts with a value below £20,000 and which are not available from a framework agreement are competitively tendered by selecting suitable organisations to bid based on objective criteria.

E-mail

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has taken legal advice in respect of claims relating to Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests for e-mails about official business sent from non-departmental accounts.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 16 May 2012
	Yes.

English Baccalaureate: West Midlands

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were awarded A* to C grades in the English Baccalaureate subjects in (a) Birmingham, Ladywood constituency and (b) the west midlands region in each of the last five academic years.

Nick Gibb: The information requested for the 2009/10 and 2010/11 academic years can be found in the following table. Information for earlier years is not currently available in the form requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Numbers and percentages of pupils at the end of key stage 4 (1,2,3 ) achieving A*-C grades in each of the English Baccalaureate subjects (4,5)  in Birmingham Ladywood constituency (6) , Birmingham local authority (7)  west midlands and England (8) . Years: 2009/10 to 2010/11. Coverage: England 
			 Numbers and percentages of KS4 pupils achieving A*-C grades in each of the following English baccalaureate subjects 2009/10 2010/11 
			 English   
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Number) 941 1,159 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Percentage) 60.4 69.7 
			 Birmingham (Number) 7,736 7,950 
			 Birmingham (Percentage) 62.8 65.4 
			 West Midlands (Number) 42,101 42,998 
			 West Midlands (Percentage) 65.0 67.8 
			 England (Number) 380,485 389,577 
			 England (Percentage) 66.1 69.0 
			    
			 Mathematics   
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Number) 975 1,165 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Percentage) 62.6 70.1 
			 Birmingham (Number) 7,531 7,816 
			 Birmingham (Percentage) 61.2 64.3 
			 West Midlands (Number) 39,412 40,472 
			 West Midlands (Percentage) 60.9 63.9 
			 England (Number) 360,525 368,922 
			 England (Percentage) 62.6 65.3 
			    
			 Science   
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Number) 675 717 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Percentage) 43.4 43.1 
			 Birmingham (Number) 4,955 4,981 
			 Birmingham (Percentage) 40.2 41.0 
			 West Midlands (Number) 27,762 27,628 
			 West Midlands (Percentage) 42.9 43.6 
			 England (Number) 263,326 261,820 
			 England (Percentage) 45.7 46.4 
			    
			 History or Geography   
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Number) 393 459 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Percentage) 25.2 27.6 
			 Birmingham (Number) 3,638 3,565 
			 Birmingham (Percentage) 29.5 29.3 
			 West Midlands (Number) 19,722 19,627 
			 West Midlands (Percentage) 30.5 310 
			 England (Number) 184,066 183,819 
			 England (Percentage) 32.0 32.5 
		
	
	
		
			    
			 Languages   
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Number) 444 537 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood (Percentage) 28.5 32.3 
			 Birmingham (Number) 3,087 3,095 
			 Birmingham (Percentage) 25.1 25.5 
			 West Midlands (Number) 15,502 15,081 
			 West Midlands (Percentage) 23.9 23.8 
			 England (Number) 159,406 153,408 
			 England (Percentage) 27.7 27.2 
			 (1) Percentages are based on all pupils at end of key stage 4 in each area. (2) Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (3) Figures include all maintained schools (including CTCs and academies). (4) The English Baccalaureate covers achievement in GCSE (or accredited iGCSE English, mathematics, sciences, a language (including Latin, classical Greek or ancient Hebrew) and history or geography. (5) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (6) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (7) Local authority and region figures are based on the local authority maintaining the school or in the case of CTCs and academies the local authority in which the school is situated. (8) England figures are the sum of all local authority figures. Source: National Pupil Database, final data

Food Technology: Young People

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to support families in teaching young people practical cooking skills.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 16 May 2012
	The Department believes that learning about food and cookery is an important life skill.
	The Government promotes healthy living through programmes and campaigns to encourage families and children to eat sensible portions, to eat fruit and vegetables and to be more physically active. The Healthy Schools toolkit helps schools to plan health and well-being improvements for their pupils. The Healthy Schools toolkit is available from the Department's website at:
	http://tinyurl.com/healthyschoolskit
	The School Food Trust's Let's Get Cooking scheme is a national network of cooking clubs for children, families and their communities across England. Information is available at:
	http://www.letsgetcooking.org.uk
	The Change4Life website also has information about staying healthy for families, and resources for schools. It provides links to local activities and organisations in local areas. The website is available at:
	http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/change-for-life.aspx

Free School Meals: South West

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in Newton Abbot constituency are eligible for free school meals.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 May 2012
	Information on the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the tables.
	Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals as at January 2011 is published in the Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011' available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml
	
		
			 Maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, special schools and pupil referral units (1,2,3,4) : January 2011 
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  Maintained nursery and state-funded primary (1,2) 
			  No. on roll (5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (5,6) % known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 3,873,175 743,255 19.2 
			 Newton Abbot constituency 5,677 813 14.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  State-funded secondary (1,3) 
			  No. on roll (5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (5,6) % known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 2,837,825 450,275 15.9 
			 Newton Abbot constituency 4,744 643 13.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  Special (4) 
			  No. on roll (5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (5,6) % known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 79,030 28,830 36.5 
			 Newton Abbot constituency 102 24 23.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  Pupil referral units 
			  No. on roll (5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (5,6) % known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 13,725 4,745 34.6 
			 Newton Abbot constituency * * * 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  Total 
			  No. on roll (5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (5,6) % known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 6,803,755 1,227,110 18.0 
			 Newton Abbot constituency 10,523 1,480 14.1 
			 * = Not applicable. No schools of this type. (1.) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes full time and part time pupils who are sole or dual main registrations, includes boarding pupils. In pupil referral units, also includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (6) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between five and 15. Note: National totals have been rounded to the nearest 5. Source: School Census

Fruit

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his private ministerial office has spent on fresh fruit in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education does not provide fresh fruit to ministerial private offices and therefore has not incurred any such costs in the last 12 months.

Departmental Staff

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many jobs formerly in his Department and its agencies and non-departmental bodies were transferred to the private sector in 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: The Department, its associated agencies and non departmental public bodies did not transfer any staff to the private sector in 2011-12.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Tim Loughton: In accordance with the requirements of "Tackling Fraud and Error in Government", published in February this year by Cabinet Office, the Department for Education will conduct a spend recovery audit on our accounts payable system by December 2013.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has provided to schools on effective use of funds received under the pupil premium;
	(2)  how many schools have contacted his Department seeking advice on use of funds received as part of the pupil premium.

Sarah Teather: One of the fundamental principles of the pupil premium is that schools should be free to decide how to use their pupil premium allocation since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for individual pupils. Not only are schools best placed to know what works in their circumstances, this approach has been widely welcomed by schools.
	To support schools in making effective use of the pupil premium, we have published ‘what works’ evidence on strategies to improve the attainment and progress of children who attract the pupil premium. We have also made available to schools information on other related premium issues, which is available via:
	www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/premium/a00200492/ppstrategies?1=1
	Further tranches of ‘what works’ evidence will be published on a regular basis including case studies from schools with a good record in narrowing attainment gaps and projects supported by Education Endowment Foundation. Between December 2011 and May 2012, the relevant web pages have been visited 5,526 times by 4,475 unique visitors.
	The Department has been contacted by a number of schools seeking advice about the pupil premium using a variety of means. Many such contacts will have been of an informal type, for example, by phone or email which will not have been logged or recorded. This means we do not have a record of the number of schools.
	We have, however, received 78 official letters or emails from a variety of people and organisations, including schools about the use of the pupil premium. This is correspondence sent to the Department either direct from individuals or organisations or via a Member of Parliament and are logged and recorded.

Pupils: West Midlands

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) schools and (b) pupils in (i) Birmingham, Ladywood constituency, (ii) the Birmingham local authority area and (iii) the West Midlands region have received the pupil premium to date.

Nick Gibb: The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 and allocations have so far been made for the 2011-12 financial year only. For 2011-12 the pupil premium funding was £488 per pupil in respect of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM), and for children in care who have been continuously looked-after for at least six months; and £200 per pupil for those whose parents are serving in the armed forces.
	In 2011-12 in the Birmingham, Ladywood constituency 52 schools received the pupil premium and 9,760 pupils were eligible for the deprivation premium. Fewer than five pupils were eligible for the service premium. Figures for pupils in alternative provision, or looked-after children, are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	In 2011-12 in Birmingham local authority 374 schools received the pupil premium and 56,510 pupils were eligible for the pupil premium. This includes 55,204 pupils eligible for the deprivation premium, 1,268 eligible for the looked-after premium and 35 eligible for the service premium.
	In 2011-12 in the West Midlands region 2,151 schools received the pupil premium and 165,370 pupils were eligible for the pupil premium. This includes 158,060 pupils eligible for the deprivation premium, 5,180 eligible for the looked-after premium and 2,140 eligible for the service premium.

Schools: Food

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on nutritional standards in schools.

Sarah Teather: The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has not recently discussed the nutritional standards in schools with the Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley). However, Department for Education officials do meet with officials from the Department of Health to discuss such matters.

Schools: North Yorkshire

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many (a) schools and (b) pupils have participated in the pupil premium in (i) North Yorkshire and (ii) the Harrogate District in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how much additional funding his Department will make available to schools in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) the Harrogate District as a result of the pupil premium in 2012-13.

Nick Gibb: The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 and allocations have so far been made for the 2011-12 financial year only. For 2011-12 the pupil premium funding was £488 per pupil in respect of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM), and for children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months; and £200 per pupil for those whose parents are serving in the armed forces.
	In 2011-12 in North Yorkshire local authority 342 schools received the pupil premium and 9,970 pupils were eligible for the pupil premium. This includes 6,950 eligible for the deprivation premium, 313 eligible for the looked after premium and 2,703 eligible for the service premium.
	The Department does not hold information on the pupil premium at district level because of the way we collect data for these pupils, so it is not possible to present this information for Harrogate district. We do, however, have information at constituency level. In 2011-12, Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency, 36 schools received the pupil premium and 1,160 pupils were eligible for the pupil premium. This includes 965 eligible for the deprivation premium and 195 eligible for the service premium. Figures for pupils in alternative provision, or looked after children are not available at constituency level.
	In 2012-13 the pupil premium amount in respect of pupils known to be eligible for FSM has risen from £488 to £600 per FSM pupil and extends to cover pupils who have been eligible for FSM within the last six years. The numbers for the pupil premium in 2012-13 are indicative and will not be confirmed until June, when the January 2012 census figures are available centrally.
	Based on 2011-12 data, this would mean over £3.7 million additional pupil premium funding being made available to North Yorkshire local authority in 2012-13. This figure includes an additional £554,000 pupil premium funding in 2012-13 for eligible pupils in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency.

Stakeholder Advocacy Group

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he took to ensure that the Stakeholder Advocacy Group complied with the Civil Service Code of Conduct.

Tim Loughton: All civil servants in the Department for Education are expected to follow the Civil Service Code of Conduct. The code is made available on the Department's intranet.

Taxis

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 17 April 2012, Official Report, column 329W, on taxis, how much each Minister in his Department has spent on private hire vehicles between August 2011 and January 2012.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 17 May 2012
	The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Minister Spend on private hire vehicles (August 2011 to January 2012 (£) 
			 right hon. Michael Gove MP 0 
			 Nick Gibb MP 0 
			 Sarah Teather MP 0 
			 Lord Hill of Oareford 753 
			 Tim Loughton MP 1,617 
			 Total 2,370

Theft

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many thefts from his private ministerial office have been recorded in the last two years.

Tim Loughton: There are no recorded thefts from the Secretary of State for Education's private office in the last two years.

JUSTICE

Community Orders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many community orders have been issued to each of the 10 recorded offenders with the most community sentences in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The following table gives the number of community orders previously issued to each of the 10 offenders who received community sentences for an indictable or a trial either way offence in the 12-month period to the end of September 2011 and who had most community sentences previously recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC).
	The figures presented in the table are a further breakdown of Table Q7.5 of ‘Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly Update to September 2011’ by the Ministry of Justice based on the dataset used for that production. The further breakdown has been derived using the dataset for the production of the full report of Criminal Justice Statistics which can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-stats-quarterly-sept11.pdf
	‘Criminal Justice Statistics Update to the end of December 2011’ will be published by the MOJ on 24 May 2012.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Number of community orders previously issued to each of the 10 recorded offenders sentenced to community sentence for an indictable or trial either way offence in the 12-month period to the end of September 2011 and had received the most community sentences previously (1) —England and Wales 
			 Number 
			 Offender identification Number of previous community orders imposed (2) 
			 1 20 
			 2 14 
			 3 14 
			 4 11 
			 5 9 
			 6 9 
			 7 9 
			 8 8 
			 9 7 
			 10 7 
			 (1) Figures are counts of sentences occasions. If there is more than one offence on the same sentence occasion, only the primary offence will be counted. (2) Community order is a subset of community sentence which include: Community order—without electronic monitoring; Community order—with electronic monitoring; Community order—with curfew requirements and with electronic monitoring; Community order—with curfew requirements and without electronic monitoring; Community order—with exclusion requirements and with electronic monitoring; Community order—with exclusion requirements and without electronic monitoring; Community order—with exclusion and curfew requirements and with electronic monitoring; Community order—with exclusion and curfew requirements and without electronic monitoring. Source: Ministry of Justice. Police National Computer

Community Orders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders have received more than one community sentence in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 gives the number of offenders who were sentenced to community sentence for an indictable or a trial either way offence and had previously received at least one community sentence in each year between 2006 and 2010. The figures are the latest information available broken down by calendar year.
	The figures presented in Table 1 have been extracted from Table A7.14 of “Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly Update to the end of December 2010” published by the Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2011. The full report can be found at the link
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-stats-quarterly-dec10.pdf
	The tables of the report can be found at the link
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/offending-histories-tables.xls
	“Criminal Justice Statistics Update to the end of December 2011” will be published by the MOJ on 24 May 2012.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of offenders who were sentenced to community sentence for indictable offences (2)  in each year between 2006 and 2010 and had previously received at least one community sentence (3)  in England and Wales 
			  Number of offenders (1) 
			 2006 49,117 
			 2007 50,159 
			 2008 51,816 
			 2009 51,036 
			 2010 52,812 
			 (1) Figures are counts of distinct offenders. Each offender would only be counted once where an offender has been sentenced to a community sentence more than once within the same year. (2) This includes indictable and trial either way offences. (3) The number of previous community sentences received included community sentence for breach offences. Source: Ministry of Justice, Police National Computer

Criminal Proceedings

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to speed up the administration of criminal justice.

Crispin Blunt: The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert), will shortly announce proposals for reform of the criminal justice system, focused on the delivery of swift and sure justice to ensure an effective deterrent to crime.
	Steps have already been taken to simplify and streamline the system, including through increasing the use of digital and video technology. We will build on this to further exploit technology in order to modernise the system. We will continue to test innovative approaches to court sitting times and joint working at the local level, to ensure that the system reacts swiftly, and is responsive to local priorities. We will also embed the learning from the response to last year's disturbances.

Legal Aid Scheme

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on legal aid providers in (a) the fourth quarter of 2010-11, (b) the first quarter of 2011-12 and (c) the second quarter of 2011-12

Jonathan Djanogly: The amount spent by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) on providers of legal aid was £526 million in the fourth quarter of 2010-11; £473 million in the first quarter of 2011-12; and £504 million in the second quarter of 2011-12.

Personal Injury: Compensation

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what percentage of the total number of personal injury claims made in the last full year for which figures are available were for damages of £5,000 or less; and how many claims there were for £5,000 or less in that period;
	(2)  how many of the personal injury claims with a damages value of £5,000 or less in the last year for which figures are available arose from a work-related injury.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold figures centrally which specifically relate to claims for personal injury or work-related injuries, or the amounts of damages in these. Such cases are logged onto the administrative computer systems used in the county courts of England and Wales. However, the information held in these systems does not enable them to be separately identified from other types of claims for unspecified amounts of money or for the amount of damages claimed to be identified.
	Exact identification of personal injury cases and the amount of damages claimed in these would require the inspection of individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Personal Injury: Compensation

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the report by Professor Paul Fenn on extension of the road traffic accident portal will be published before the completion of the Government's information gathering exercise on possible extension of the current portal arrangements and before any decision is taken based upon that exercise.

Jonathan Djanogly: Professor Fenn’s report will not be published before the conclusion of the Government's evidence gathering exercise on 25 May 2012. However, it is expected to be published by summer 2012 and, in any event, before any announcement is made on the final form of the extended Road Traffic Accident Personal Injury scheme and its associated costs.

Probation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms exist for members of the public to complain about decisions taken by probation services; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Probation trusts are required to have in place a scheme for considering and responding to complaints. Trusts are also required to provide enquirers with information about the scheme, which must include arrangements for appeal against the initial decision.
	If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaints process, there is a further avenue of appeal to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman in certain cases; and the complainant can ask the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to investigate the trust's handling of the complaint.

Probation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints were recorded against the probation service in (a) Essex, (b) Southend and (c) England and Wales in each of the last 10 years; what the rate of complaints per 1,000 of population was in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Statistics of the number of complaints against the probation service in Essex are available for the last nine years only. These are shown in the following table. Information relating to south-east Essex and Southend is available for the last five years only.
	
		
			  Essex South-east Essex and Southend 
			 2011 32 8 
			 2010 47 2 
			 2009 38 6 
			 2008 24 4 
			 2007 37 6 
			 2006 36 — 
			 2005 13 — 
			 2004 21 — 
			 2003 24 — 
		
	
	The Ministry of Justice does not hold the other information requested. It could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Probation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to increase the cost-effectiveness of probation authorities in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Probation trusts are working, in collaboration with the National Offender Management Service, to focus their resources on delivery of front-line services.
	On 27 March 2012, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), published two consultations, entitled ‘Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences’ and ‘Punishment and Reform: Effective Probation Services’. The Government's proposals are designed to give full effect to the aims of the Offender Management Act 2007, which provides the basis to raise the effectiveness, innovation and efficiency of services through competition. We will announce our plans in due course; once we have considered the responses we receive.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times the chief executive of Essex Probation has met hon. Members since her appointment; and when such meetings took place.

Crispin Blunt: Since her appointment in April 2010, the chief executive has met the following MPs:
	
		
			 MP Date 
			 Rebecca Harris MP 13 January 2012 
			 Robert Halfon MP 14 October 2011 
			 Mark Francois MP 22 July 2011 
			 Steven Metcalfe MP 1 July 2011 
			 Jackie Doyle-Price MP 13 May 2011 
			 Priti Patel MP 29 October 2010

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the salary was of the (a) chief executive of Essex Probation and (b) chairman of the Essex Probation Trust in each year since appointment.

Crispin Blunt: The current chair of Essex Probation Trust was appointed on 1 November 2011 and the chief executive when the trust was formed on 1 April 2010.
	The following table provides information published in the Essex Probation Trust's Annual Report and Accounts. The salary information is shown in bandings of £5,000: it includes all pay-related costs and any performance-related bonus payments.
	
		
			   Salary 
			 Chair 2011-12 £5,000 to £10,000 
			    
			 Chief executive 2011-12 £115,000 to £120,000 
			  2010-11 £115,000 to £120,000

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what meetings the chief executive of Essex Probation has had since June 2007; what the location was; whether a record of each meeting was kept; who attended each meeting; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much has been spent on (a) office accommodation, (b) staff costs, (c) staff travel and subsistence and (d) staff bonuses at Essex Probation in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what relevant specialist qualifications each member of staff of Essex Probation holds; when each was appointed; what process was followed in his or her appointment; where the post was advertised; how many people applied for each post; how many people were short-listed for interview; and how each was appraised.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does not hold the information requested. It could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) publications, (b) periodicals and (c) newspapers have been purchased by Essex Probation in each month since 2010; what criteria Essex Probation uses on the purchase of such items; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Essex Probation Trust purchased the Police and Courts Directory in 2010 and the National Probation Offices Directory in January 2011 and May 2012. The reason for purchase was business need.
	Daily local newspapers may be used for the purpose of looking for job opportunities with offenders. The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of newspapers purchased by Essex Probation Trust and this could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any people employed by Essex Probation have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted of a criminal offence in the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Three employees of Essex Probation have been convicted of a criminal offence in the last five years. Information on prosecutions that do not result in conviction is not collated.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which (a) barristers' chambers and (b) solicitors' firms have undertaken work for Essex probation in each of the last two financial years; what the reason was for the work undertaken in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Essex Probation Trust contracts with Essex county council to arrange representation in the Crown court by counsel, in cases where an action for breach of a community order is contested. Essex county council also provides legal advice to the trust, as required, in relation to some matters of business.
	Essex Probation Trust also employs the services of DLA Piper for advice on employment and business matters, as required, and the Treasury Solicitors in relation to insurance claims.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much was spent by Essex Probation defending actions brought against it by victims of crime in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much was spent by Essex Probation defending itself against vexatious litigation in each year since 2001.

Crispin Blunt: There has been no expenditure by Essex Probation Trust in defending actions brought by victims of crime or defending itself against vexatious litigation since 2001.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much Essex Probation (a) budgeted and (b) spent on security in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Essex Probation Trust is required to adhere to a national contract for the provision of estates and facilities management: there is no requirement locally to set a budget for these services.
	The national contract does not make separate allocation for the provision of physical security. Costs relating to security form part of wider budget allocations and this information could not be separately identified without incurring disproportionate cost.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what complaints against Essex Probation have been upheld in each year since 2000; what (a) response was made and (b) steps were taken by Essex Probation in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: All complaints made to Essex Probation are responded to on an individual basis. The information requested is therefore contained in a variety of records and could not be retrieved without incurring disproportionate cost.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on the morale of probation officers in Essex Probation; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: No recent representations have been received in relation to the morale of probation officers in Essex Probation Trust.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice under what circumstances an Essex Probation security pass may be (a) suspended and (b) revoked; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: A staff member would be suspended if he or she was subject to disciplinary proceedings. The employee's security pass would be removed and would be returned only following satisfactory completion of the disciplinary process. A security pass would be revoked following termination of a staff member's employment.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many copies of the Essex Probation (a) Three Year Strategic Plan 2010 to 2013 and (b) Annual Report 2010-11 were produced; at what cost; how many copies were supplied free of charge; to whom; at what cost; how much of the cost was attributable to (i) postage, (ii) time of staff and (iii) the cost of producing copies; how many officials employed by Essex Probation were responsible for researching the information contained in the report; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Essex Probation Trust published its Three Year Strategic Plan 2010-13 and Annual Report 2010-11 electronically, using in-house office printers to produce copies on request. The annual report can be viewed on the trust's website. The total cost of a limited run of copies for 22 stakeholders, was £53.90. Paper copies of the Three Year Strategic Plan, which is also published on the trust's website, can be produced at a cost of £0.26 per copy.
	The Ministry of Justice does not hold the remainder of the information requested and it could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women in each age group were employed by Essex probation service at the latest date for which figures are available; and how many were employed in 2000.

Crispin Blunt: Staffing figures broken down to the level requested have only been collected since 2004. The figures provided in the following table therefore relate to staffing levels by gender and age band at 31 December 2011 (latest published figures) and 31 December 2004:
	
		
			 Essex probation service: Staffing by gender and age band 
			  2011 2004 
			 Age band Female Male Total Female Male Total 
			 <19 6.80 1.00 7.80 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 20-29 52.79 23.00 75.79 68.45 15.00 83.45 
			 30-39 87.42 30.50 117.92 65.39 25.00 90.39 
			 40-49 62.25 38.70 100.95 76.46 31.20 107.66 
			 50-59 79.83 50.03 129.86 76.78 37.40 114.18 
			 60+ 19.10 7.87 26.97 22.89 15.23 38.12 
			 Total 308.19 151.10 459.29 309.97 123.83 433.80

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women employed by Essex Probation service retired in each year since 2000.

Crispin Blunt: The number of staff employed by Essex Probation Service retiring in each year between 2000 and 2011, by gender is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Essex Probation Service: Retirements by gender, 2000 to 2011 
			 Number 
			  Female Male Total 
			  Retirements Medical retirement Total Retirement s Medical retirement Total Retirements Medical retirement Total 
			 2000 1 0 1 3 0 3 4 0 4 
			 2001 4 0 4 4 0 4 8 0 8 
			 2002 3 0 3 2 0 2 5 0 5 
		
	
	
		
			 2003 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 1 2 
			 2004 2 2 4 2 1 3 4 3 7 
			 2005 2 0 2 4 1 5 6 1 7 
			 2006 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 3 
			 2007 11 1 12 3 0 3 14 1 15 
			 2008 8 0 8 3 2 5 11 2 13 
			 2009 4 0 4 4 0 4 8 0 8 
			 2010 6 0 6 6 0 6 12 0 12 
			 2011 5 0 5 1 0 1 6 0 6 
			 Total 47 4 51 34 5 39 81 9 90

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with Essex Probation service in the last three years; what issues were discussed in each case; what steps his Department took in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: I visited Essex Probation in 2010, and accompanied the chief executive on a visit to the Military Corrective Training Centre, where Essex Probation does some work. I also attended the launch of the Essex Probation-Sodexo working partnership in 2011.
	Officials in the National Offender Management Service are in frequent contact with the trust.

Public Order Offences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest number of previous convictions for public order acts offences for an individual convicted of public order acts offences without being sent to prison was in each of the last three years; and how many offences that individual had committed at the point of sentence for the latest offence.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 shows the highest number of previous convictions for public order acts offences for individuals convicted of this offence in each year between 2008 to 2010 and received a sentence other than immediate custody. It also shows the offender's total number of previous offences for any offence at the point of sentence and the number of previous immediate custodial sentences for any offence in each year.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Table 1: Highest number of previous convictions for public order acts offences, for individuals convicted of this offence without being sent to prison, in England and Wales in the years 2008 to 2010 
			  2008 2009 2010 
			 Number of previous convictions for public order act offences 60 70 60 
			 Number of previous cautions and convictions for any offence at time of conviction 487 441 515 
			 Number of previous immediate custodial sentences for any offence 154 118 123 
			 Source:  Police National Computer, MOJ JSAS

Reoffenders

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the re-offending rate is for people sentenced to one year’s imprisonment or less; and what steps he is taking to reduce reoffending by such people.

Crispin Blunt: The proven reoffending rate for adults released from custodial sentence lengths of less than a year in the 12 months ending June 2010 is 56.8%
	Proven reoffending is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up. Following this one year period, a further six months is allowed for cases to progress through the courts.
	As set out in ‘Breaking the Cycle’ Green Paper and the Government Response, we are implementing a radical new approach to work across Government and with the private and voluntary sectors to reform offenders, paying providers by the results they achieve in reducing reoffending. We are also supporting closer partnership working at the local level on release, including: getting offenders free from drug and alcohol problems and addressing offenders' mental health problems; improving offenders’ skills and getting them into work; and reducing barriers to resettlement, for example through the Integrated Offender Management approach.
	In addition, we are currently consulting on measures to make community sentences more effective. We believe there is a need for intensive community punishment for offenders who deserve a significant level of punishment, but for whom punishment in the community is appropriate and will be more effective at reducing the risks of their reoffending.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to extend the scope of legal aid to include appeals to first-tier tribunals on welfare benefits matters where a point of law is raised; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: We have undertaken to explore whether we can find a way whereby someone, other than the claimant or their lawyer, certifies that a welfare benefits appeal in the first-tier tribunal involves a point of law. There is still much work to do to determine how and in what circumstances this might be done.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the proportion that the £20 million funding assigned for debt, housing, welfare benefit and employment advice by not-for-profit advice agencies represents of the collective total funding likely to be lost to those agencies when legal aid is taken out of scope.

Jonathan Djanogly: The £20 million fund announced by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd) in November 2011 was designed to provide immediate support to the advice sector in the short term, during 2012-13. This fund was not designed to replace any reduction in legal aid funding that not-for- profit agencies may experience, following the scope changes taking effect from April 2013. As stated in my previous answer of Thursday 17 May on this issue, once implemented, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 will reduce the number and types of cases for which legal aid will be available, including some matters currently handled by not-for-profit providers. However, these providers will be able to bid for the contracts that will be available going forward to deliver legal aid for the subjects that remain in scope.

Theft: Convictions

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest number of previous convictions for theft for an individual convicted of an offence of theft without being sent to prison was in each of the last three years; and how many offences that individual had committed at the point of sentence for the latest offence.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 shows the highest number of previous convictions for the offence of theft for an individual convicted of this offence in each year between 2008 and 2010 (it is the same individual in each case) and who received a sentence other than immediate custody. It also shows the offender's total number of previous offences for any offence at the point of sentence and the number of previous immediate custodial sentences for any offence.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Table 1: Highest number of previous convictions for the offence of theft, for an individual convicted of this offence without being sent to prison, in England and Wales in the years 2008 - 10 
			  2008 2009 2010 
			 Number of previous convictions for theft offences 342 347 373 
			 Number of previous cautions and convictions for any offence at time of conviction 419 424 452 
			 Number of previous immediate custodial sentences for any offence 274 277 299 
			 Source: Police National Computer, MOJ JSAS

Translation Services

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many (a) tier 1, (b) tier 2 and (c) tier 3 interpreters have been supplied by Applied Language Solutions for (i) Crown court and (ii) magistrates court hearings since the beginning of its contract with his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of interpreters supplied by Applied Language Solutions are registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many wasted costs applications were (a) lodged and (b) granted due to interpretation failures in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2011; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many wasted costs applications were (a) lodged and (b) granted against Applied Language Solutions due to interpretation failures since the beginning of its contract with his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Under the contract for interpretation and translation services it is for Applied Language Solutions to provide interpreters at the appropriate tier to meet the requirements of each booking. The Ministry does not hold information on the tiering status of individual interpreters, their qualifications, or what organisations they are members of Those are matters for the contractor. The Ministry has announced that it intends to publish statistics on the use of interpreters on 24 May.
	Decisions about whether to make wasted costs orders and third party costs orders are at the discretion of the court. Information about the number of cases where wasted costs have been considered is not collected centrally by the Ministry.

Young Offenders: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many juvenile offenders from the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside were being held in (a) a secure children's home, (b) a secure training centre and (c) a young offender institution in each month since May 2005.

Crispin Blunt: The table shows the number of juvenile offenders (aged 10 to 17) either sentenced or remanded in custody attached to Tameside Youth Offending Team (YOT) who have been held in a (a) secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) under 18 young offender institution in each month from May 2005 to March 2012.
	Those data have been provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The YJB only holds data at the YOT area level. YOT area data may cover more than one Metropolitan Borough or local authority area, however in this case the YOT and the Metropolitan Borough cover the same geographical area.
	This is based upon monthly snapshot data. Therefore one young person who is serving more than one month in custody may be shown in more than one month in the table.
	The data from April 2011 onwards are provisional and will be finalised when the 2011-12 Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.
	
		
			 Table 1: Young people in custody attached to Tameside YOT by establishment type in each month from May 2005 to March 2012 
			  Secure Children's Homes Secure Training Centres Young Offender Institutions 
			 May 2005 4 0 13 
			 June 2005 5 0 12 
			 July 2005 4 1 17 
			 August 2005 4 0 18 
			 September 2005 5 0 16 
			 October 2005 3 0 16 
			 November 2005 1 1 16 
			 December 2005 2 0 16 
			 January 2006 2 0 16 
			 February 2006 0 1 15 
			 March 2006 2 1 21 
			 April 2006 2 0 16 
			 May 2006 3 0 17 
			 June 2006 3 0 20 
			 July 2006 2 1 25 
			 August 2006 2 1 29 
			 September 2006 1 2 23 
			 October 2006 1 1 22 
			 November 2006 1 0 23 
			 December 2006 2 0 20 
			 January 2007 3 2 16 
			 February 2007 3 2 14 
			 March 2007 2 3 12 
			 April 2007 3 2 8 
			 May 2007 3 1 10 
			 June 2007 2 1 12 
			 July 2007 2 2 14 
			 August 2007 2 0 13 
			 September 2007 3 0 15 
			 October 2007 0 0 15 
			 November 2007 0 0 17 
			 December 2007 1 0 14 
			 January 2008 2 0 18 
			 February 2008 2 0 16 
			 March 2008 2 0 14 
			 April 2008 1 0 14 
			 May 2008 1 0 17 
			 June 2008 0 0 16 
			 July 2008 0 0 15 
			 August 2008 0 0 13 
			 September 2008 0 0 17 
			 October 2008 0 0 13 
			 November 2008 0 0 13 
			 December 2008 0 0 9 
			 January 2009 0 0 7 
			 February 2009 0 0 3 
			 March 2009 2 0 5 
			 April 2009 0 0 7 
			 May 2009 1 0 9 
			 June 2009 1 0 7 
			 July 2009 0 0 8 
			 August 2009 1 0 5 
			 September 2009 2 0 7 
		
	
	
		
			 October 2009 2 0 9 
			 November 2009 1 1 5 
			 December 2009 1 1 6 
			 January 2010 1 1 7 
			 February 2010 1 1 7 
			 March 2010 0 1 11 
			 April 2010 0 1 9 
			 May 2010 1 2 4 
			 June 2010 1 3 5 
			 July 2010 1 3 5 
			 August 2010 2 2 5 
			 September 2010 2 1 6 
			 October 2010 0 1 6 
			 November 2010 0 0 8 
			 December 2010 0 0 6 
			 January 2011 0 0 10 
			 February 2011 0 1 12 
			 March 2011 0 1 15 
			 April 2011 0 0 15 
			 May 2011 0 0 13 
			 June 2011 2 0 14 
			 July 2011 3 0 10 
			 August 2011 1 0 12 
			 September 2011 1 0 13 
			 October 2011 1 0 15 
			 November 2011 2 0 16 
			 December 2011 2 0 16 
			 January 2012 1 0 12 
			 February 2012 1 0 10 
			 March 2012 2 0 11 
			 Notes: 1. YJB data referring to Secure Training Centres (STCs), Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs), and Under 18 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs). This is based upon monthly snapshot data therefore one young person who is serving more than one month in custody, will be shown in more than one month in the table. The figures from April 2011 onwards are provisional. Data from April 2011 onwards will be finalised when the 2011-12 Annual Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013. 2. The data comes from the Youth Justice Board's Secure Accommodation Clearing House System (SACHS). These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

TREASURY

Arch Cru

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the investors affected by the failure of Arch Cru he estimates will be compensated by the Financial Services Authority's proposed compensation package.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) recently launched a consultation on establishing a consumer redress scheme which has the potential to deliver more than £100 million compensation to investors who were mis-sold the CF Arch Cru funds. The FSA estimate that the proposed scheme could deliver redress to between 15,000 and 20,000 consumers. The exact amount of redress will depend on the responses of the firms that made a personal recommendation to consumers and prevailing market conditions.

Construction Industry Scheme

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies in the construction sector were under the rules of the construction industry scheme for wrongly stating the employment status of a member of their workforce in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and how many workers were given the wrong status by each such company.

David Gauke: The information requested is not available.

Crown Estate

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who the members are of the Remuneration Committee of the Crown Estate; how many times and on what dates it has met since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: Details of the membership of the Crown Estate's remuneration committee are available in the Crown Estate's annual report, which is online at:
	http://ar2011.thecrownestate.ry.com/governance/remuneration-report.aspx
	Since May 2010, the committee met on the following dates:
	2010: 15 June
	2011: 25 January, 22 February, 31 March, 10 May, 8 June, and 18 October
	2012: 30 January, 31 March, 29 April, and 14 May.

Crown Estate

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in which funds the pensions of (a) civil servants and (b) staff of the Crown Estate are invested; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 17 May 2012
	The Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) is an unfunded scheme. This means that pension contributions are paid by employers and employees but these are not used to build up a fund in order to provide the means to meet the liability when it falls due, but rather used to pay current pensions.
	The assets of The Crown Estate pension scheme are held separately from those of The Crown Estate, in a fund administered independently by a trustee body, which has investments in gilts and equities. In addition employees are offered a choice of investing part of their pension in one or more of the following: UK equities, UK and overseas equities, overseas equities, ethical equities, property, corporate bonds, fixed interest bonds, Government gilts and a cash fund.

Employee Benefit Trusts

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Treasury of using employer-supported employee benefits to increase the take-up of the green home improvement programme through salary sacrifice.

David Gauke: Estimates are not available for the cost of introducing tax relief on employer-provided green home improvements.

Exhaust Emissions: Motor Vehicles

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent research his Department has undertaken on feebate schemes to provide a refund to new car buyers for purchasing low-emission cars funded by taxes on high-emission cars.

Chloe Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 19 April 2012, Official Report, column 531W. The Chancellor of the Exchequer keeps all taxes under review along Budget timelines.

Income Tax

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of adults (a) over and (b) under the age of 65 pay income tax; and how many in each group pay tax at the higher rate or above.

David Gauke: The information requested is shown in the following table for 2012-13.
	
		
			 Thousand 
			  Taxpayers (1)  
			 Age All Higher rate or above UK population estimate (2) 
			 16-64 24,600 3,710 40,600 
			 65 + 5,030 391 10,900 
			 (1) These projections are based on the 2009-10 Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) data projected in line with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2012 Economic and fiscal outlook. (2) Office for National Statistics, 2010 mid year based population projections, adjusted to financial year estimates. 
		
	
	ONS population estimates are mid year point in time whereas taxpayer estimates represent numbers of individuals with tax liabilities arising during the financial year.

Infrastructure UK

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff are employed by Infrastructure UK; and what salaries these staff are paid.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 17 May 2012
	The total number of staff employed in Infrastructure UK on 31 April 2012 was 45 full time equivalent, including 6.8 loans and secondees. The salary data of officials working in the Treasury, within IUK, has been published as part of the transparency exercise in September 2011. Links to the data are as follows.
	Senior Civil Service Positions
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/HMT-Treasury--staff-and-salary-data-template---September-2011-for-input_final-v14-senior-data.csv
	Below Senior Civil Service Positions
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/HMT-Treasury--staff-and-salary-data-template---September-2011-for-input_final-v14-junior-data.csv

Infrastructure UK

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding he allocated for the operation of Infrastructure UK in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 17 May 2012
	Infrastructure UK (IUK) was first established in December 2009 and confirmed in July 2010 following the general election. It has a remit to lead work within Treasury to enable greater private sector investment in infrastructure, and focus on the improvement of the Government's long-term planning, prioritisation and delivery of infrastructure.
	The total operating costs for Infrastructure UK were £7.8 million in 2010-11 and £6.0 million in 2011-12.
	The creation of IUK (and subsequent winding down of Partnerships UK) has delivered annual savings for the taxpayer of £3 million per annum.

Midland Main Line

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the economic effects of the upgrade and electrification of the Midland Main Line.

Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with all Departments and a wide variety of external organisations as part of the process of policy development.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Mobile Phones

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the likely revenue to the Exchequer from the auction of the 4G mobile broadband spectrum under minimum coverage requirements of (a) 98 per cent, (b) 98.5 per cent, (c) 99 per cent, (d) 99.5 per cent and (e)  100 per cent.

Danny Alexander: The Treasury has made no such assessments.

Mountain Rescue

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to pay emergency service provider Mountain Rescue £4 million from the Consolidated Fund equivalent to the fine paid by Network Rail as a result of the 2007 Grayrigg accident.

Danny Alexander: The Government values the work of the mountain rescue and air ambulance services. There are no plans to direct any of the fines paid by Network Rail as a result of the 2007 Grayrigg accident to the mountain rescue services. Like all fines and levies, fines imposed on Network Rail flow to the Consolidated Fund and go towards funding the public services as a whole, including contributions to mountain rescue services and clinical staff in the air ambulance services.

PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many outstanding PAYE open cases there were on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many of these are from tax years (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09, (d) 2009-10 and (e) 2010-11.

David Gauke: From 18 May 2012, for 2006-07, HMRC has 1.16 million PAYE "open cases" and 1.54 million for 2007-08. HMRC is on target to clear these cases by end December 2012.
	In respect of 2008-09 and 2009-10 and 2010-11, there are around 6 million open cases which HMRC plans to clear by the end of 2012-13.

PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of increasing the use of automated matching for unreconciled open cases in the PAYE system; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HMRC uses automated matching for PAYE information as its preferred method of processing and will continue to consider extending its use if new opportunities arise.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Michael Dugher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley metropolitan borough and (c) South Yorkshire will be affected by the freeze on age-related allowances.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Tooting (Sadiq Khan) on 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1201W, which provides available estimates by country and region. Reliable estimates are not available at the parliamentary constituency level due to greater uncertainties in making projections for small geographical areas.

Pensioners: Tax Allowances

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who will be affected by the freeze on age-related allowances.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Tooting (Sadiq Khan) on 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1201W, which provides available estimates by country and region. Reliable estimates are not available at the parliamentary constituency level due to greater uncertainties in making projections for small geographical areas.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury’s spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been reported in the Cabinet Office report ‘Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On’, published on 9 March 2012. This report is available online at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department next plans to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Chloe Smith: The Department is planning on undertaking a spend recovery audit during 2012-13 to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Railways: Radlett

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answers of 26 April 2012, Official Report, columns 1064-5, on meetings, what representations his Department has received in the regular correspondence and representations it receives from external organisations on the Radlett rail freight site.

Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers and officials receive regular correspondence and representations from external organisations whom they engage with as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	Treasury officials have received representations from external organisations on the Radlett rail freight site, consisting of basic details and the estimated economic benefits of the scheme.

Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has had recent discussions with officials in his Department on the development and implementation of a secure online two-way communication between taxpayers and (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) other tax-related organisations; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HMRC has over 100 electronic contact services available to customers that offer a structured and secure means of communicating with HMRC through its website and we are always looking to provide more. HMRC will only introduce electronic contact solutions where it is certain about the authenticity of the person sending the e-mail and where there are strong controls around the data being sent.

Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the HM Revenue and Customs secure online login system; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) takes online security very seriously and has implemented measures such as rigorous authentication procedures and use of secure connections and encryption to ensure their online services are as secure as possible. HMRC also constantly monitor the services for potential security breaches and regularly undertake penetration testing of its online systems to identify and address any emerging vulnerabilities. Details of some of the ways HMRC manage customer online security can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/safe-online.htm

Revenue and Customs

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost per minute is of calls to the 0845 3000627 HM Revenue and Customs hotline number; and what information his Department holds on (a) average and (b) maximum call times in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 967W, for the information you have requested on the cost of calls.
	HMRC can advise that, (a) for April 2012 the average total call time was 15 minutes 35 seconds and (b) the maximum total call time for a single call was two hours 35 minutes seven seconds.
	For “total call time” HMRC has included the time spent:
	in the IVR automated messaging system;
	waiting for a call to be answered by an adviser once a customer has selected an option from the call steering menu; and
	speaking to an adviser.
	HMRC uses a variety of measures to assess the accessibility of telephone services which include the percentage of call attempts handled by its contact centres. In 2011-12, HMRC has significantly improved the number of call attempts handled to 74% (compared to 48% in the previous year) and aims to build on that improvement.

Tonnage Tax

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 17 April 2012, Official Report, column 343W, on tonnage tax, when he expects an estimate of the 2010 reduction in tax liabilities for shipping companies in the tonnage tax scheme to be published; how many companies in the tonnage tax scheme have yet to submit a tax return for the financial year (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; what information is required to make an estimate of the pre-2005 tax concessions under the tonnage tax; and if he will estimate the tax concession for shipping companies in the tonnage tax scheme in each year between 2000-01 and 2004-05. [R]

Chloe Smith: Statistics are published by HMRC on the estimated reduction in tax liabilities accrued by the UK shipping industry through the tonnage tax regime for 2010-11 and 2011-12. These are available at the following link:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table1-5.pdf
	Complete tax returns data for these years are not yet available so these estimates are based on projecting forward data from tax returns for 2009.
	HMRC is currently aware of two companies that have yet to submit a tax return for 2009-10 and 17 companies that have yet to submit a tax return for 2010-11.
	The following table provides estimates of the difference between accruals of tax liabilities for the UK shipping industry through tonnage tax and what they would otherwise have been under standard UK corporation tax between 2000 and 2004.
	
		
			 Calendar year Reduction in tax liabilities (£ million) 
			 2000 35 
			 2001 40 
			 2002 40 
			 2003 50 
			 2004 55 
		
	
	Estimates have been rounded to the nearest £5 million, and due to insufficient data being available before 2005 these estimates have been produced by scaling the 2005 estimate by the total UK fleet deadweight tonnage in each year from 2000 to 2004 compared to 2005. As such these results are indicative estimates only.

VAT

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the volume of sales was of (a) static holiday caravans and (b) cold food consumed on suppliers' premises in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12; and what estimate he has made of the likely change in the volume sold arising from the VAT changes in Budget 2012 in (A) 2012-13 and (B) 2013-14;
	(2)  with reference to the HM Revenue and Customs document VAT: Taxing Holiday Caravans, what the regional composition is of the 50,000 people and 750 manufacturers, retailers and holiday parks selling static caravans who will be affected by the increase in VAT on static caravans announced in Budget 2012.

David Gauke: The impacts are set out in Annex B—Table of Impact for Individual Measures—of the HM Revenue and Customs consultation document ‘VAT: Addressing borderline anomalies’, published in Budget 2012:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/vat-con-4801.pdf
	No further breakdown of these figures is available.

VAT

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the volume of sales was of hot food in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and what estimate he has made of the likely change in volume sold arising from the VAT changes in the 2012 Budget in (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14.

David Gauke: Annex B—Tables of Impact for Individual Measures—in HM Revenue and Customs consultation document ‘VAT. Addressing Borderline Anomalies’, published at Budget 201 2, sets out estimates for VAT which will be raised from the sale of hot take-away food and a summary of impacts.

Welfare Tax Credits

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many days a (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit claim should take to be processed by his Department;
	(2)  what the average length of time was for a (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit claim to be processed by his Department in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011; and what the average time has been for each in 2012;
	(3)  how many (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit claims were processed by his Department in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011; and how many have been processed in 2012.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sets its tax credits processing targets annually. For 2011-12 they aimed to clear new tax credit claims in an average of 23 calendar days.
	Average processing times for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 are shown in the following table. Information for the year 2008 is not available.
	
		
			  Average number of days to process new tax credit claims (1) 
			 2008-09 21 
			 2009-10 20 
			 2010-11 24 
			 2011-12 25 
			 (1) Rounded figures. 
		
	
	Information on the total number of tax credit claims processed is not available. Detailed information on tax credits is published in the national statistics available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm

Welfare Tax Credits

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in his Department worked on (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit claims in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011; and how many have worked on each in 2012.

David Gauke: We cannot separate the number of staff administering working tax credit from those administering child tax credit as each member of staff deals with both.
	Information on the number of staff within the Benefits and Credits Directorate who deal directly with tax credits for each year of your request is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  B&C staff working directly with tax credits claims 
			 1 April 2008 5,367 
			 1 April 2009 5,466 
			 31 March 2010 4,704 
			 31 March 2011 4,507 
			 31 March 2012 4,127

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Nature Conservation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to transfer the status of the lion from Appendix II to Appendix I at the next Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Conference of the Parties meeting in March 2013; and whether she has discussed this issue with her EU counterparts to form a common EU position.

Richard Benyon: The UK is very concerned about the decline of lion numbers in the wild in many countries across Africa. As a consequence, we funded a conference in March, in Johannesburg, to consider the conservation needs and status of African lions. The conference, facilitated by the LionAid NGO and attended by seven lion range states, agreed that regional and pan-African lion conservation measures should be developed to halt population declines in this iconic species, but did not agree that a listing proposal was necessary.
	The UK is committed to continuing to work with lion range states, as well as LionAid, to identify actions necessary to protect the lion. The UK has drawn our concerns to the attention of the EU and informed them of our support for the March conference. The question of an uplisting proposal has not, however, been discussed, pending the results of the March conference and other lion-related meetings.

PRIME MINISTER

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to receive the report of the Iraq Inquiry.

David Cameron: The Inquiry has advised the Government that it will need until at least summer 2012 to produce a draft report.

NATO

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister what his objectives are for the NATO summit to be held in Chicago; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
	The UK is looking to the summit to agree the nature of NATO's long-term relationship with Afghanistan; secure agreement on post-2014 funding for the Afghan National Security Forces which represents a credible commitment from the international community; and mark progress on security transition.
	The UK is also looking to the summit to address the challenge of developing and deploying capable military forces at a time when all Allies face economic pressure. And we aim to ensure NATO boosts its cooperation with partners around the globe, building on operational co-operation with a very wide range of countries in Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Police Remuneration and Conditions

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of part 2 of the independent review of police officers' and staff remuneration and conditions.

Nick Herbert: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has referred the report's recommendations to the Police Negotiating Board, the Police Advisory Board of England and Wales and the Police Staff Council as appropriate for consideration. It will be for these bodies to consider them and report back with their recommendations, which she will consider carefully.

Police Numbers

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been a reduction in the number of police officers in public-facing roles since May 2010.

Nick Herbert: What matters most is the service that the police provide, not how many officers there are. Although overall officer numbers have reduced since 2010, HMIC have made clear that the proportion of the workforce in frontline roles is expected to increase, and forces are working hard to protect frontline services.

Arrest Warrants

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what obligation the (a) Serious Organised Crime Agency and (b) local police have to inform a person of the existence of a European arrest warrant for their arrest.

Damian Green: If a person is arrested in the UK pursuant to a European arrest warrant, the police must explain why they are arresting the person and the person must be given a copy of the warrant as soon as is practicable after their arrest. There is no obligation to notify the person of the existence of a warrant ahead of their arrest.

Association of British Insurers

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the date was of each meeting between officials in her Department and the Association of British Insurers between 6 August 2011 and 6 May 2012; and who attended each such meeting.

Damian Green: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which individuals have been paid by her Department for consultancy or other services who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not record the previous employment history of individuals who have been paid by the Department for consultancy or other services.
	To provide information about individuals who have been paid by the Department and who previously held an elected position as a member of either the Conservative party or the Liberal Democrat party since May 2010, would incur disproportionate cost.

Crime Prevention

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether officials in her Department discussed the use of the police preferred specification marque with the Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Prevention Initiative Ltd in the last 12 months.

Nick Herbert: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Discrimination: Ethnic Groups

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to the report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research on the incidence of discrimination by caste and descent in the UK.

Lynne Featherstone: We have carefully considered the findings of the report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. The report identifies evidence suggesting that discrimination and harassment on grounds of caste exists in the UK, but notes that it is impossible to determine categorically that caste discrimination and harassment within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010 has occurred. That is why we have also been giving full and careful consideration to the correspondence and representations put forward by both those who want the Government to legislate and those who are opposed to such legislation being introduced, before reaching any final conclusion on this matter.

Driving: Eyesight

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers who failed to comply with the restrictions on their driving licences on eyesight standards have been reported by police in the last 10 years.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Driving: Eyesight

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment must be made by police when attending road traffic incidents of drivers' compliance with restrictions on their driving licences relating to eyesight.

Nick Herbert: Driving on-road with uncorrected vision is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988. It is an operational matter for chief officers of police to decide what assessment must be made by police officers attending and investigating the cause of road traffic incidents.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the UK Border Agency to have cleared its backlog of student visa expirations.

Damian Green: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department is confident that the UK Border Agency will have completed all action on this cohort of Tier 4 student notifications by the end of May.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals against refusal of entry clearance for (a) settlement and (b) family visits made by applicants in Pakistan were (i) allowed, (ii) dismissed and (iii) withdrawn in (A) 2010, (B) 2011 and (C) 2012 to date.

Damian Green: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Appeals 
			 Category Year (i) Allowed (ii) Dismissed (iii) Withdrawn 
			 ( a) Settlement (A) 2010 117 114 30 
			  (B) 2011 414 268 23 
			      
			 (b) Family visit (A) 2010 327 1,283 26 
			  (B) 2011 486 330 3 
			 Notes: 1. The data provided are based on management information and are provisional and subject to change. 2. We are unable to release statistics relating to the year 2012 as these are yet to be published. They will become available shortly.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the longest time was between the promulgation of a determination by the First-Tier Tribunal allowing an entry clearance (a) settlement appeal and (b) appeal for a family visitor and the issuing of entry clearance to the appellant by the British high commission in Pakistan for entry clearances issued in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012 to date.

Damian Green: The date of promulgation of a determination is not recorded centrally by the UK Border Agency's Visa Sections. To collect this information would require the examination of individual records which would incur disproportionate costs.

Entry Clearances: South Asia

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors' visa applications from residents of South Asian countries working as farmers were (a) accepted and (b) refused in each of the last five years; and what the total value was of application fees received in respect of applications that were (i) accepted and (ii) refused in each year.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not routinely record applicants' occupations on its system for visit visa applications. To provide an accurate answer would require the examination of individual records which would incur disproportionate costs.

Immigration Controls

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Migrant Advisory Committee's report on the family migration route, when she plans to announce her policy on changes to family migration.

Damian Green: The Government is considering responses to the public consultation on changes to the family migration rules carried out last year, and expects to announce the results shortly.

Immigration Controls: Foreign Workers

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to break the link between foreign nationals coming to work in the UK and subsequently gaining permanent residency.

Damian Green: On 29 February, we announced changes which will break the link between coming here to work and settling permanently and ensure that only those who make a significant economic contribution can stay. In future, most skilled workers will need to be paid a minimum salary of £35,000 to settle here.

Immigration Controls: Merseyside

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Border Agency staff were deployed in (a) docks and (b) airports in Merseyside in (i) May 2010 and (ii) May 2012.

Damian Green: Due to border security considerations the UK Border Agency does not report on staff numbers at individual ports. Staff numbers for the North region are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Full-time equivalent staff at 31 March each year 
			  United Kingdom Border Agency (now including HMRC ) at  31 May 2010 Border Force  at  30 April 2012 
			 North region including Manchester, Merseyside, Edinburgh, Leeds, Glasgow, Belfast(1) 1,174 1,066 
			 (1) Figures are not limited to operational staff at ports and will include administration and support staff.

Immigration: Married People

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department plans to publish revised minimum income thresholds for those seeking a visa for a foreign spouse.

Damian Green: The Government is considering the responses to the public consultation and will announce its conclusions as soon as possible.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 16 April 2012, Home Office ref U1016190 and CTS ref B9692/12.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 16 May 2012.

Organised Crime: EU Action

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the likely benefits for the UK of EU Council Decision 2006/560/JHA on the common use of liaison officers posted abroad by law enforcement agencies of the member states.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 14 May 2012
	The UK must decide, no later than 31 May 2014, whether to accept full European Court of Justice jurisdiction over those EU police and criminal justice measures adopted before 1 December 2009 which have not been amended or replaced. This measure falls within the scope of that decision and will be reviewed accordingly.

Police: Remuneration and Conditions

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of part two of the Winsor report on police remuneration and conditions.

Nick Herbert: The Home Secretary has referred the report's recommendations to the Police Negotiating Board, the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales and the Police Staff Council as appropriate for consideration. It will be for these bodies to consider them in full and to report back to us with their recommendations, which we will consider very carefully.

Police: Firearms

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms units there are in (a) Avon and Somerset Police Constabulary, (b) Gloucestershire Police Constabulary, (c) Devon and Cornwall Police Constabulary and (d) South Wales Police.

Nick Herbert: The requested information is not available centrally.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of payments made by her Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Damian Green: The Home Office aims to pay 80% of valid invoices within five days. Since May 2010, performance has exceeded target with 88% of payments being made within five days and 12% paid late.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of her Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Damian Green: Since May 2010, 7% of the Home Office's procurement expenditure has gone directly to small and medium-sized enterprises.
	From April 2011, information has been collected on spend which flows through prime contractors to small and medium enterprises. In the period April 2011 to March 2012 the proportion of direct and indirect procurement spend going to small and medium-sized enterprises was 12%.

Sexual Offences: Drugs

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on drug-facilitated sexual assault, when this offence will be added to the British Crime Survey.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking when changes might be made to the British Crime Survey to reflect the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on drug-facilitated sexual assault.
	Responsibility for the content of the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW, formerly the British Crime Survey) transferred from the Home Office to the ONS on 1 April 2012. Changes to the content of the survey questionnaire are considered on an annual basis with the next round due to begin later this year for implementation in April 2013. The recommendation to include measures of drug-facilitated sexual assault will be given consideration at that time.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding his Department provides to Combat Stress; and whether it accepts referrals from former armed forces personnel who have problems with abuse of alcohol or drugs.

Andrew Robathan: The amount paid to Combat Stress in financial year 2010-11 by the Ministry of Defence was some £2.6 million.
	Any decision about the acceptance of veterans for treatment other than remedial treatment is a matter for Combat Stress.

Army: Foreign Nationals

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers from other Commonwealth countries are serving in each regular army unit in the British Army.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 14 May 2012
	This information is not available in the format requested. However, figures are available, as at 1 April 2012, for the number of trained regular Army personnel who are classed as Commonwealth or other non-British personnel by arm and service and these are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Arm/service Number  of Commonwealth and other non-British personnel 
			 Staff 5 
			 Household Cavalry/Royal Armoured Corps 290 
		
	
	
		
			 Royal Artillery 730 
			 Royal Engineers 565 
			 Royal Signals 210 
			 Infantry 2,275 
			 Army Air Corps 80 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 2,070 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 205 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 460 
			 Adjutant General's Corps 545 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 5 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 45 
			 Intelligence Corps 5 
			 Royal Army Physical Training Corps 5 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps 90 
			 Corps of Army Musicians 15 
			 Total 7,600 
		
	
	The data exclude personnel in the Brigade of Gurkhas.

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's total level of carbon emissions was between (a) 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 and (b) 2 April 2011 and 1 April 2012.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence's recorded total emissions in 2010-11 were 4.7 million tonnes CO2e. This is a reduction from 4.8 million tonnes in 2009-10. These totals include emissions from the Department's fuel consumption, which is in addition to the scope of the Greening Government Commitments. The Department's total reported emissions for 2011-12 will be available later this year.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party; and whether their position was advertised publicly;
	(2)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Andrew Robathan: To obtain the information requested would require a search of all human resources records and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence: Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many urgent operational requirements have been identified in each of the last three years; how many such requirements have not been fulfilled; and how many such requirements were delivered (a) later than originally planned and (b) over budget.

Peter Luff: holding answer 15 May 2012
	Urgent operational requirements (UORs) address urgent and unforeseen capability gaps in support of a current or imminent military operation by providing for the rapid purchase or modification of equipment. Where a requirement is specific to a particular operational theatre and can be delivered quickly, it will be funded from the Government Reserve rather than the Defence budget.
	According to departmental records, the numbers of Urgent Statements of User Requirement which have been endorsed by the Permanent Joint Headquarters and subsequently entered the urgent operational requirement process are as follows for the past three years:
	
		
			  FY 2009-10 FY 2010-11 FY 2011-12 
			 Requirements entering UOR process 154 115 58 
			 Subsequently cancelled 53 22 4 
			 Business cases under development 3 19 40 
		
	
	Of the remaining endorsed requirements:
	
		
			  FY 2009-10 FY 2010-11 FY 2011-12 
			 Delivered on time or early 60 26 4 
			 On track to deliver on time 8 25 8 
			 Delivered, or now planned for delivery, later than originally approved equipment delivery date 30 23 2 
			 Within approved cost 93 70 14 
			 Exceeding approved cost 5 4 0 
			 Note: The requirement for some UORs can change over time and the original approval dates and costs may subsequently be adjusted to allow these changes to be addressed. Therefore not all the instances of later delivery or cost growth represent shortcomings in project management or initial estimating. 
		
	
	Not all requirements which enter the UOR process, progress to a business case and subsequent delivery stages. The reasons for the cancellations shown in the table may include the fact that, while a requirement may be extant, there is currently no equipment solution that can meet it. In such cases, attempts will be made to mitigate the risk through a non-equipment solution such as changing tactics, techniques or procedures. In other cases, the requirement may be cancelled by commanders in theatre because the evolving nature of operations means it is no longer needed. The ‘Business cases under development’ entry in the table represents those requirements where a solution is still being identified or the details finalised prior to approval.

Departmental Staff

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff (a) his Department and (b) its agencies employs in each parliamentary constituency.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold the information in the format requested. However, I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of the MOD's latest quarterly MOD Personnel Location Statistics report which shows the number of MOD civilians (including its agencies) employed in each local authority area in the United Kingdom.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010;
	(2)  how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has abolished one public body, the Animals Welfare Advisory Committee, and established no new public bodies since May 2010.

Ordnance Board: Disclosure of Information

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 16 October 2001, Official Report, column 1141W, on the Ordnance Project Board, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Ordnance Board Report Board Project G/220A dated 23 February 1982; for what reasons no letter was placed in the Library by his Department on the review conducted to determine whether some or all of the information could be released into the public domain; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The information will take time to locate and review. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Peter Luff: We do not retain discrete records of any late payments made to small and medium-sized enterprises.
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is, however, a signatory to the Prompt Payment Code and is fully committed, along with the Department's trading partners, to pay all suppliers as quickly as possible. We aim to pay 80% of invoices within five working days and have, since 1 May 2010, paid over 90% of invoices within the five working day target and almost 100% of correctly submitted invoices within 11 calendar days.
	It is also MOD policy to include in its prime contracts a contract condition which requires our contractors to pay their sub-contractors within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice. In addition, for large construction projects, the MOD uses Project Bank Accounts to ensure prompt payment throughout the supply chain.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Peter Luff: The proportion of departmental procurement spend going direct to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is measured across each financial year (from 1 April to 31 March) and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1146W.
	The Department's spend with SMEs in 2011-12 (to end December 2011) has now been reported in the Cabinet Office report, “Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On”, which can be accessed at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Andrew Robathan: Our central bill payment organisation in Defence Business Services follows rigorous processes and controls to ensure that overpayments to suppliers are identified and recovered quickly. No significant issues or system weaknesses were found during recent audits by both the National Audit Office and the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s own audit organisation.
	The National Audit Office is due to audit the MOD's central bill paying organisation again this autumn. We otherwise periodically review our bill payment processes and controls to ensure we continue to achieve the required high standards of performance and governance.

RAF Northolt

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport, (b) civil engineering companies and (c) airline companies about a potential high speed rail link between Heathrow Airport and RAF Northolt; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: There have been no such discussions.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what strategic or transitional risk registers in each area of policy are held by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The information on what risk registers are held will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member when this has been completed.

Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days of sick leave were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years.

Andrew Robathan: The number of days (rounded) sick leave taken by staff in the Ministry of Defence over the last three years calculated in accordance with Cabinet Office methodology, was as follows:
	
		
			 1 April to 31 March each year Number 
			 2009-10 591,740 
			 2010-11 553,810 
			 2011-12 512,350 
		
	
	The Royal Fleet Auxiliary and locally engaged civilians are excluded from the totals.
	The Meteorological Office ceased to be part of the Ministry of Defence on 30 September 2011; their figures are therefore excluded from the 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 data.

Telephone Services

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many call centres provide services for his Department and the bodies for which he is responsible; and how many such call centres are based abroad.

Andrew Robathan: Information on the number of call centres is not held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Ministry of Defence has consolidated many call centre services into Civilian Human Resources (Defence Business Services), Forces Personnel (Joint Personnel Administration) and Information Services (Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) Single Point of Contact (SPOC)). These are all based in the UK.

Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army personnel have completed five or more years of consecutive service but have not qualified for a Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Andrew Robathan: As the award of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal is ongoing, accurate data are not currently held on the joint personnel administration computer system, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits signed up to the Territorial Army in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many of such recruits became fully trained soldiers in each such year; and how many such recruits who (a) were and (b) were not members of the training corps left in each such year.

Andrew Robathan: The following table shows the number of recruits, excluding those in the Officer Training Corps, who joined the Territorial Army in each of the last five financial years. Information on the number of those recruits who became fully trained soldiers, or for those who left the Territorial Army before completing this training, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Total Territorial Army intake (excluding Officer Training Corps) 
			  Total 
			 2007-08 6,970 
			 2008-09 5,880 
			 2009-10 5,380 
			 2010-11 3,840 
			 2011-12 4,240 
		
	
	The number of officer training cadets who joined the Officer Training Corps during the same period is provided in the following table. Cadets join the Officer Training Corps while at university and can resign at any time. There is no obligation for them to join the armed forces when they leave university.
	Information on the number of officer training cadets who have resigned from the Officer Training Corps is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Intake to Officer Training Corps 
			  Number 
			 2007-08 2,240 
			 2008-09 2,470 
			 2009-10 1,990 
			 2010-11 2,160 
			 2011-12 2,880

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence makes certain facilities available to civilian employees who are accredited representatives or members but not paid officials of trade unions recognised by the Department. The amount of time off and the purposes for which it is allowed is in accordance with the ACAS Code of Practice Time off for TU duties and activities.
	The Department in September 2011 had approved that 322 part-time representatives and 65 full-time could undertake facility time (FT). This figure does not include FT provided to the Ministry of Defence police, Royal Fleet Auxiliary or trading funds. It also does not include non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who have their own agreements with the TU.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence makes certain facilities available to civilian employees who are accredited representatives or members but not paid officials of trade unions recognised by the Department. The amount of time off and the purposes for which it is allowed is in accordance with the ACAS Code of Practice time off for trade union duties and activities.
	The Department in September 2011 had approved 123 full-time equivalents to undertake facility time (FT) which equated to 27,060 days and a cost of £3.65 million. This figure does not include the FT provided to the Ministry of Defence Police, Royal Fleet Auxiliary or Trading Funds. It also does not include non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who have their own agreements with the trade unions.
	We do not record centrally how much of this approved FT was actually used.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trade unions representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental bodies have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence makes certain facilities available to civilian employees who are accredited representatives or members but not paid officials of trade unions recognised by the Department. The amount of time off and the purposes for which it is allowed is in accordance with the ACAS Code of Practice Time off for TU duties and activities.
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Veterans: Mental Health Services

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many NHS trauma units are available in (a) England and (b) Wales to treat soldiers with (i) post-traumatic stress disorder and (ii) other mental health issues.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 17 May 2012
	The majority of armed forces personnel who require treatment for a mental health condition will receive it in military-owned community out-patient facilities rather than through the NHS. The Ministry of Defence also has a contract with a partnership of eight NHS trusts, led by South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust, to provide in-patient treatment for those who require it.
	Of the other seven NHS Trusts involved in the partnership, five are in England (Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust; Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust) and two in Scotland (NHS Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Grampian). Members of the armed forces based in Wales who require in-patient treatment for a mental health condition will receive it in the most convenient of these NHS units (which will usually be South Staffordshire and Shropshire or Somerset Partnership), depending on where in Wales they are located.

Weapons: Radioactive Waste

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sites in the UK, in addition to Dalgety Bay, he estimates are subject to radium pollution as a result of the burying of radium-coated military hardware after the second world war; where those sites are; what plans he has to clean up each of those sites; under what timescale; and at what estimated cost.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 17 May 2012
	As specified in the Contaminated Land Regime, the identification of radioactive contaminated land falls to the regulatory authorities and not the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
	Where former MOD sites are identified as contaminated, the MOD remains committed to voluntarily assisting the relevant authorities, without prejudice, in fulfilling their statutory duties, for which they are funded.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects and initiatives he is funding in Bahrain through the (a) Arab Partnership Fund and (b) other sources in 2012-13; and which such projects and initiatives are to support the Bahraini Government in implementing the recommendations of the Bahraini Independent Commission of Inquiry.

Alistair Burt: The British embassy in Bahrain is developing a programme of reform support, including for the implementation of the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), which will be funded by the Arab Partnership Participation Fund and the Conflict Pool. This support is likely to focus on two key areas central to the BICI recommendations: reconciliation, and promoting human rights and the rule of law. In 2011-12, the Arab Partnership Participation Fund supported bespoke human rights training in the UK for officials from the Bahraini Ministries of Justice and Social Development.

China

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has received any video, CCTV, film or mobile telephone images taken in the hotel room in Chongquing where Neil Heywood was killed.

Jeremy Browne: The British Government is not in possession of any images taken in the hotel room in which Neil Heywood's body was found.

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who were previously employed in any capacity by (i) the Conservative party or its elected representatives and (ii) the Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(2)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative party and (ii) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(3)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(4)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who previously held an elected position as a member of the (a) Conservative party and (b) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

David Lidington: As part of this Government's Transparency agenda, since 2010 all contracts over the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly.
	(2)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative Party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Henry Bellingham: To collect any such information would require a search of all human resources records which would involve disproportionate costs.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on external consultants, including management consultants, in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spent £19.2 million in financial year 2010-11 and £12.04 million in financial year 2011-12 on external consultants, including management consultants, a reduction of 37% in a year.
	The FCO is committed to procuring consultants/ consultancy services in line with the Cabinet Office approvals process. Since July 2010 there has been a freeze on all new consultancy expenditure except where there is a strong business case to draw on specialised expertise that is not available internally. Such a business case requires Cabinet Office approval in addition to internal approval for new and existing consultancy spend over £20,000, and submitted for re-approval every three months from the date of contract commencement. Contracts are reviewed regularly and any request to prolong a consultancy agreement beyond nine months must be submitted to the Efficiency Reform Group (ERG) at the Cabinet Office.

Drugs: EU Action

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the potential benefits to the UK resulting from EU Council Decision 2005/481/CFSP regarding the exchange of classified information with the Ukraine.

David Lidington: The UK supports Ukraine's long-term aspiration to join the EU at the point when it meets the criteria as set out in article 49 of the treaty on European Union. The implementation of this agreement further cements Ukraine's relationship with the European Union. The UK must decide, no later than 31 May 2014, whether to accept full European Court of Justice jurisdiction over those EU police and criminal justice measures adopted before 1 December 2009 which have not been amended or replaced. This measure falls within the scope of that decision and will be reviewed accordingly.

Eritrea

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the appointment of a UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea.

Henry Bellingham: We are concerned by the human rights situation in Eritrea. This is why Eritrea is included as a “Country of Concern” in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2011 Human Rights and Democracy Report. The UK supported the statement delivered by Somalia at the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council on the deteriorating human rights situation in Eritrea. The decision to appoint a UN Special Rapporteur is ultimately a matter for the UN Human Rights Council. We would support the proposal in principle, but understand that there are already five outstanding requests for visits by UN Special Rapporteurs to Eritrea.

Eritrea

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of refugees leaving Eritrea in the last year; and whether it has assessed (a) how these numbers compare to other countries with similar problems on a per capita basis, (b) the reasons why Eritreans are seeking to leave their country and (c) the effect of this outflow regionally and internationally, including the effect of regional traffickers seeking to exploit the situation.

Henry Bellingham: According to statistics received from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over the past year around 35,000 Eritreans have been registered in Ethiopia and Sudan as refugees. But it is worth noting that not all refugees leave by these routes or register at the camps. The figure is therefore likely to be higher. The number of refugees is likely to remain high in 2012 thereby increasing the burden put on Ethiopia and Sudan. Most of the refugees are young men and women fleeing compulsory national service. On 8 February 2012, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and UK Border Agency officials met the visiting high level Eritrean delegation to discuss initiatives to combat trafficking. We have also urged Eritrea to bring to justice any Eritreans involved in human trafficking.
	Comparing refugee numbers on an international and per capita basis is a sensitive and complex task which would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources to deliver. The FCO currently refers to the UNHCR for the refugee situation around the world since they are better placed and resourced to make assessments.

Ethiopia

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has received any reports of human rights violations connected with the villagisation programme in Gambella, Ethiopia.

Henry Bellingham: We became aware of allegations associated with the villagisation (or commune) programme in Gambella in late 2010 and immediately took steps to investigate them. In February last year the UK led a multi-agency mission, independent from the Ethiopian Government, to Gambella. The mission found no evidence of systematic or widespread human rights abuses, though isolated human rights abuses may have been committed. We have provided the Ethiopian Government with guidelines on resettlement best practice and these have been placed in the House of Commons Library. We have repeatedly raised our concerns over how the programme is being implemented with the Ethiopian Government.

Exports

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings officials in his Department have had with businesses seeking to export to (a) India, (b) China and (c) Brazil in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Browne: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials in the UK and overseas meet UK businesses seeking to export to India, China and Brazil regularly. Export promotion activities are led by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to which both FCO and BIS contribute staff. One of the key functions of UKTI is to meet, and provide assistance to, UK companies seeking to expand into overseas markets. These interactions occur in a wide variety of circumstances, and it is therefore not possible to assess accurately the total number of meetings that have taken place in the last 12 months.

Foreign Investment in UK

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings officials in his Department have had with businesses from (a) India, (b) China and (c) Brazil seeking to invest in the UK in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Browne: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials in the UK and overseas meet UK businesses seeking to invest in India, China and Brazil regularly. Investment promotion activities are led by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to which both FCO and BIS contribute staff. One of the key functions of UKTI is to meet, and provide assistance to, UK companies seeking to expand into overseas markets. These interactions occur in a wide variety of circumstances, and it is therefore not possible to assess accurately the total number of meetings that have taken place in the last 12 months.

Israel

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on discriminatory water supply policies in the Jordan Valley.

Alistair Burt: I refer my right hon. Friend to my answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 760W.

Israel

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the International Committee of the Red Cross on the humanitarian needs of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Alistair Burt: We hold regular discussions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the humanitarian needs of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, which remains an issue of significant concern to the UK Government. The British embassy in Tel Aviv and consulate general in Jerusalem keep in close contact with the ICRC Head of Delegation on these issues.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs issued a public statement on 16 May welcoming the agreement reached to end the mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners. We have commended all sides, including the Palestinian Authority, the prisoners' representatives, the Egyptian authorities and the Israeli Government for their roles in finding a solution that prevents loss of life. We particularly welcome Israel's agreement to limit the use of administrative detention and solitary confinement, and to reinstate family visits for detainees.

Israel

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on the ending of restrictions on exports from Gaza.

Alistair Burt: We are clear that Israeli restrictions on movements of goods and people do serious damage to the economy and living standards of ordinary people in Gaza. The current situation fosters radicalisation and empowers Hamas. An improved economy is not only essential for the people of Gaza, but firmly in Israel's security interests. In close co-ordination with our EU partners and the Office of the Quartet Representative, we continue to press the Israeli Government at ministerial and official level to ease access restrictions.
	I most recently raised this issue with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon on 18 January 2012. The British ambassador to Tel Aviv also raised the issue with Prime Minister Netanyahu's Chief Negotiator, Yitzhak Molcho, and the Israeli Co-ordinator of Government Activity in the Territories, General Dangot, in March.
	The EU, with the full support of the UK, called on Israel to lift restrictions on Gaza in the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions issued on 14 May 2012:
	http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/130195.pdf

Lithuania

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Lithuanian Government on its decision to honour Juozas Brazaitis.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) continues to actively engage with the Lithuanian Government on minority rights and post-holocaust issues. The FCO has raised this issue with the Lithuanian Government and will continue dialogue with them on these issues.

Middle East

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how eligible organisations in target countries are notified of the availability of project funding through the Arab Partnership fund; and with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, columns 752-53W, on the Arab Partnership fund, what outreach is undertaken in (a) Qatar, (b) Saudi Arabia and (c) the United Arab Emirates.

Alistair Burt: Information about funding available from the Arab Partnership Participation Fund is published in English and Arabic on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/global-issues/mena/uk-arab-partnership
	In target countries including Egypt and Tunisia, calls for proposals have also been publicised on local embassies' websites.
	To ensure that the FCO meets its Overseas Development Assistance targets, Arab Partnership funding for work in the six Gulf countries (Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) is capped at £250,000 per year. In 2012-13, Bahrain is likely to be the Arab Partnership Participation Fund's main focus in the Gulf. Funding for work in Gulf countries is also available through other programmes such as the Gulf Initiative, Conflict Pool and the Prosperity Fund.

Middle East

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Israeli authorities on recovering the costs or repairing damage caused to the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Gaza during operation Cast Lead.

Alistair Burt: The British Government has had extensive discussions with the Israeli authorities, in particular with the Ministry of Defence, over several years on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission about recovering costs, or repairing damage to the cemetery in Gaza following Israel's operation Cast Lead. Israel does not accept liability for the damage caused but recognises the significance of the cemetery from a historical point of view. Israel made an ex-gratia payment of £40,000 towards the cost of repairing the damage to the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.

Nigeria

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are in place to support British companies wishing to do business in Nigeria; and what charges are made for this support.

Henry Bellingham: Commercial diplomacy is one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's priorities. An important part of the role of our high commissioner to Nigeria, and his team, is to provide advice and support to UK companies which are active or looking to do business in Nigeria. In Nigeria, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is represented in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. UKTI offers UK exporters and investors a range of services, which include: identifying local agents and distributors, arranging visit programmes and trade missions, and organising product launches. These are part of UKTI's chargeable service, called Overseas Market Introduction Service, the charge for which is calculated on the time needed to deliver the service.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010.

David Lidington: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 9-10WS.

North Africa

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects and initiatives (a) have been and (b) are being funded through (i) the Arab Partnership Fund and (ii) other sources to promote and protect women's rights and encourage their political participation in (A) Egypt, (B) Tunisia and (C) Libya.

Alistair Burt: In Egypt, the Arab Partnership Fund (APF) has recently approved a project with Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS) to promote the participation of women candidates in Egyptian local council elections and engagement of communities with their local councillors.
	In Tunisia, the APF has supported a project led by ERIS to support a voter outreach programme targeting women voters in rural areas, and a project with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy to build the capacity of MPs, including training for women MPs.
	In Libya, the APF is supporting ERIS to train women to become election observers for the upcoming elections and has also provided a contribution to the UN Electoral Assistance Programme which includes elements to ensure women's participation in elections. The tri-departmental Conflict Pool (FCO/DFID/MOD) is also supporting women's participation in the Libyan political process. It co-funded the first ever Women's Convention in Tripoli in November 2011, and has supported programmes led by the National Democratic Institute to mobilise women to participate in the electoral process and by Dan Church Aid to enable women to form networks and common platforms to advocate at a national and local level for greater social, economic and political inclusion. Both organisations are working to empower local women's organisations.
	In all APF projects, the UK works with project partners to ensure that gender issues are taken into account, and participation is gender-balanced. A regional conflict adviser will shortly be appointed in North Africa, whose responsibilities will include working with women's organisations in support of UNSCR1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

North Africa and Middle East

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of renewable energy and recycling in the Middle East and North Africa.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is working actively to encourage countries in the Middle East and North Africa to adopt policies to achieve sustainable economic growth, including the promotion of secure and affordable energy, resource efficiency and low carbon solutions.
	The Department engages bilaterally, through its embassies and network of energy and climate change attachés, to promote investment in renewable energy resources. Through the FCO Prosperity Fund, the Department also supports a number of lower-carbon projects in the Gulf, including the establishment of a regional Centre for Sustainable Development, the promotion of ambitious energy intensity improvement targets by 2020 in GCC countries, and a sustainable housing programme in Saudi Arabia.
	Through its network, the FCO also contributes to promoting renewable energy through multilateral fora, including the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme and the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) meetings. The most recent CEM was hosted by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in April and was attended by the Prime Minister.

Sudan: South Sudan

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department has received an estimate of the number of Sudan armed forces personnel who remain in the Abyei area;
	(2)  what reports he has received of the withdrawal of South Sudan Police from the Abyei area;
	(3)  whether he plans to provide assistance for the establishment of a local Abyei Police Service; and what form any such assistance will take.

Henry Bellingham: In my statement of 11 May, I welcomed South Sudan's withdrawal of all its remaining security forces from Abyei, as confirmed by the Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA). I also called on Sudan to fulfil its own obligations to withdraw all remaining Sudanese armed forces without delay, in line with its own commitments and as called for by the African Union and UN Security Council. That has still not happened. We do not have direct verification of the numbers of Sudanese armed forces present in the Abyei area, but contacts with the UN suggest it is in the region of 350.
	The UK has provided training to the Ethiopian police contingent in UNISFA, who will in turn be able to train the Abyei Police Service when it is established. That can only happen once the joint Abyei Area Administration, on which the two governments have yet to reach agreement, has been formed. I call on both governments to establish the Abyei Area Administration as soon as possible.

Telephone Services

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many call centres provide services for his Department and the bodies for which he is responsible; and how many such call centres are based abroad.

David Lidington: We do not keep centrally details of all call centres operated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), its global network and the bodies for which it is responsible. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The following call centres based in the UK provide services on behalf of the FCO:
	Call centre: Teleperformance
	Service: (a) travel advice and (b) consular crisis calls (where volume and/or waiting times exceed the capacity of our Crisis Management Department's internal call centre facility)
	Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland
	Call centre: Careline
	Service: advice on our Legalisation services
	Location: Selkirk, Scotland.

Thailand

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Thailand on the imprisonment and death of Ampon Tangnoppakul.

Jeremy Browne: In November 2011, following the sentencing of Ampon Tangnoppakul, the UK issued a statement jointly with our European Union partners to express concern about the court decision to convict and imprison Ampon for 20 years. The statement reiterated the importance attached by the EU to the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights. The EU also urged the Thai authorities to ensure that the rule of law was applied in a non-discriminatory and proportional manner consistent with upholding basic human rights, including freedom of expression.

Thailand

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of access to health care for prisoners in Thailand.

Jeremy Browne: Conditions in Thai prisons are generally poor. Prisons are old and often have run down infrastructure. However, basic medical treatment is available in all prisons in Thailand and prisoners may be transferred to a local hospital for more complex medical treatment.
	As part of our consular responsibilities, embassy staff in Thailand visit British detainees every eight weeks. These visits are carried out by trained consular staff, who check the welfare of detainees. Any issues of concern can be then brought to the attention of the prison authorities, including any medical or dental problems a detainee might have.

Thailand

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the treatment of people (a) arrested and (b) convicted under lèse majesté laws in Thailand.

Jeremy Browne: The UK attaches great importance to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right of every human being. We are closely following the development of freedom of expression in Thailand and are concerned by the significant increase of lèse-majesté cases in the country and the application of the laws and length of sentences in recent cases.
	With our European Union partners, the UK expressed concern last year at the conviction and imprisonment for 20 years of Ampon Tangnoppakul for violating the lese-majeste laws.
	Our embassy in Bangkok continues to monitor the ongoing trials of high profile lèse majesté and freedom of expression on the internet cases. We have urged the Thai Government to ensure that the rule of law is applied in a non-discriminatory and proportionate manner consistent with upholding basic human rights, and will continue to take appropriate opportunities to do so.
	During my visit to Thailand in 2010, I raised the issue of conditions for detainees in Thailand, referring specifically to the importance of access to exercise, proper food and medical facilities.

Thailand

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of lèse majesté laws in Thailand with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and what representations he has made to the government of Thailand on freedom of expression and the lèse majesté laws.

Jeremy Browne: We understand the particular reverence the people of Thailand have for the monarchy. The Government attaches importance to the respect of fundamental human rights in line with the universal declaration of human rights. Specifically on article 19 which covers freedom of opinion and expression, the UK thinks that it should be possible to discuss constitutional reform without fear of coming under the purvue of laws that were designed for non-political purposes. In October 2011 at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the human rights situation in Thailand was reviewed as part of the Universal Periodic Review process. The UK played an active role, including raising our concerns about freedom of expression and specifically recommending that the Thai Government seek to review its lèse majesté laws. The report of this session can be found online at the following link:
	www.upr-info.org/IMG/pdf/a_hrc_wg.6_12_l.6_thailand.pdf
	Our ambassador in Bangkok has raised the issue of freedom of expression with the Thai authorities. I also raised the issue when I visited Thailand in September 2011. We will continue to take appropriate opportunities to do so.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) follows the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service Code of Practice “Time Off for Trades Union Duties and Activities”.
	Elected trade union representatives are as follows:
	(a) FCO—seven full-time officers
	(b) FCO Services—one full-time officer and 0.5 part-time officer
	(c) Wilton Park staff are nominally also represented by (a)
	In addition to these, there are 37 members of staff who are volunteer branch committee members. They carry out this role in addition to their normal day job. The FCO's Facility Agreement allows up to 25 days paid facility time per year. Actual time taken is not recorded centrally.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse.

Henry Bellingham: We refer the House to the answer to the hon. Member's PQ107383 today for the number of full-time and part-time trade union representatives and facility time allowed to volunteer branch committee members.
	The Foreign Commonwealth Office does not hold the information related to costs centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12

Henry Bellingham: I refer the hon. Member of the House to the answer to her PQ 107384 today.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies.

Henry Bellingham: A copy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Facility Agreement with its Trade Union Side, which covers both FCO Services and Wilton Park, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years.

Henry Bellingham: No trade union representatives within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), FCO Services or Wilton Park have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in the last five years.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings have taken place between (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies and trade union representatives utilising paid facility time in each of the last five years to discuss (i) collective bargaining, (ii) redundancies, (iii) negotiations relating to employment, pay and conditions and (iv) other trade union and industrial relations duties; and what the dates and times were of each meeting.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), FCO Services and Wilton Park do not hold this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However, we hold meetings with representatives of our recognised trade unions on matters affecting staff on a regular basis. This includes the annual Whitley Council meeting and meetings on areas where consultation with trade unions is a statutory requirement such as redundancy, the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment), Health and Safety and pensions.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions trade union representatives from (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have utilised paid facility time to represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter in each of the last five years.

Henry Bellingham: This information is not held centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Western Sahara

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 12 March 2012, Official Report, column 67W, on Western Sahara, what groups have de facto control over that part of Western Sahara not under Moroccan control.

Alistair Burt: There is no clear consensus as to who exercises de facto control over that part of Western Sahara not under Moroccan control. The UK regards the Polisario Front as a party to the UN-led political negotiations in support of efforts to find a mutually acceptable political solution providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

HEALTH

Substance Misuse

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 18 years and resident in the London borough of Bexley were receiving treatment for (a) alcohol and (b) drug dependency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: 24 young people under the age of 18 received a specialist substance misuse intervention in Bexley in 2010-11 according to the latest figures from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System. Of these, 10 were treated primarily for an alcohol problem, and 14 were treated primarily for a drugs problem.
	Most young people receiving treatment for substance misuse are not dependent as many have not been taking substances for long enough to develop dependence.
	Dependence describes a compulsion to continue taking a drug, including alcohol, in order to feel good or to avoid feeling bad. When this is done to avoid physical discomfort or withdrawal, it is known as physical dependence; when it has a psychological aspect (the need for stimulation or pleasure, or to escape reality) then it is known as psychological dependence.

Babies

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his policy is on the use of pulse oximetry testing for all newborn babies;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of pulse oximetry testing for newborn babies;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to improve early diagnosis of heart conditions in newborn babies.

Anne Milton: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the national health service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy and supports implementation. Using research evidence, pilot programmes and economic evaluation, it assesses the evidence for programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria.
	The UK NSC is currently reviewing the evidence for newborn screening for heart conditions using pulse oximetry against its criteria. It is expected that a public consultation on the screening review will open at the end of the year.
	As part of the NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme all pregnant women are offered a mid pregnancy ultrasound scan. The main purpose of this scan is to look for abnormalities in the unborn baby, including serious cardiac abnormalities.
	It has been good practice for many years for all babies to have a careful physical examination after birth. On the advice of the UK NSC, the Department has set up a programme centre to oversee the implementation of a high quality and consistent NHS Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) screening programme. The NIPE screening programme offers parents the opportunity to have their child examined shortly after birth (within the first 72 hours). The examination includes a general physical check as well as examination of the baby's eyes, heart, hips and, for boys, testes. A general examination of the baby's heart will be carried out by a clinician. As some conditions can develop later, the examination is repeated at six to eight weeks of age usually by a general practitioner.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote the use of innovative digital mammography technology in the NHS.

Paul Burstow: Local national health service breast cancer screening programmes in England are replacing their current analogue (film) systems with digital systems (direct digital mammography—DDM). As at May 2012, 74 (92.5%) local programmes have at least one direct digital x-ray set and 53 (66%) are fully digital.
	Local programmes have been advised to implement direct digital as quickly as possible as the independent Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening has said that running both film and digital systems together is inefficient. Six programmes (7.5%) are still to implement digital mammography.

Breasts: Plastic Surgery

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he had with Ministers in the Welsh Government prior to publishing his response to the Sixteenth Report from the Health Committee Session 2010-12, on PIP Breast Implants and Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions.

Simon Burns: None, but departmental officials shared a copy of the draft response with colleagues in the Welsh Government in advance of publication. The response relates solely to the national health service in England and makes no comment on policies for the NHS in the devolved administrations.

Cancer

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1288W, on cancer, what funding earmarked for cancer networks was included in the Strategic Health Authority bundle for (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2012-13.

Paul Burstow: The amounts included in the Strategic Health Authority (SHA) bundle for cancer networks for 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 20012-13 can be found in the following table:
	
		
			 Cancer network funding 
			  £ million 
			 2009-10 18.3 
			 2010-11 18.5 
			 2011-12 18.5 
			 2012-13 18.5 
		
	
	These allocations are based on estimates of the funding required to deliver cancer networks. However, it is for each SHA to determine how the total amount they receive in the SHA bundle is allocated to specific services, such as cancer networks, taking into account the needs of local populations.

Care Homes

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what systems are in place to minimise the impact of provider failure on users of care and nursing homes;
	(2)  who is responsible for oversight of the financial viability of private companies that provide care and nursing home services.

Paul Burstow: The responsibility for providing or arranging residential care rests with local authorities, which have specific duties of care to their populations under section 21(a) of the National Assistance Act 1948 and Section 47(5) of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990.
	The NHS and Community Care Act 1990 gives local authorities the powers to provide or arrange care services for anyone in urgent need. Were a care home to fail, no resident—whether publicly or self-funded—would be left homeless or without care. In an emergency, a local authority could provide residential accommodation to anyone—publicly or self-funded—who had an urgent need for it. A local authority would continue to provide care for any self-funding resident who was unable to find or arrange care for themselves.
	As commissioners and providers of care services, local authorities have a responsibility to manage the care sector in their areas in order to ensure there is a suitable range of provision available to meet local need.
	Social care is a devolved matter; different oversight and regulatory mechanisms are in place across the United Kingdom. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has responsibility for the regulation of adult social care in England. As such, it contributes to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of people who use social care services. All providers of regulated activities in England must be registered with the CQC and meet the registration requirements, which are set out in regulations made under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
	The regulations include a requirement to take all reasonable steps to carry on the regulated activity in such a manner as to ensure the financial viability of the carrying on of that activity. This requirement does not apply to local authorities or NHS bodies. The CQC can take enforcement action, including cancellation of registration, if the registration requirements are not met.
	In October 2011, the Department published a discussion paper, “Oversight of the Social Care Market”, which outlined the issues facing the social care market and possible options for strengthening oversight of the largest and most complex providers. A copy has already been placed in the Library. This has provided a valuable opportunity for us to hear views on this area and reflect on the best approach.
	We have considered the responses to the consultation paper, and intend to address the issue of market oversight in the forthcoming White Paper on Care and Support.

Care Homes

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of not increasing the means test capital limit for residential care on (a) businesses, (b) charities and (c) voluntary bodies in the sector;
	(2)  what savings have accrued from maintaining the means test capital limit for residential care at the same level since 2010.

Paul Burstow: The Department has not made an assessment of the effect of not increasing the means test capital limit for residential care on businesses, charities and voluntary bodies in the sector.
	The decision in the spending review 2010 not to increase capital limits was taken in order to help local authorities, at a time of financial stringency, to maintain the level of services they provide. The spending review 2010 covers Government spending up to April 2015. However, the capital limits are being kept under review in order to monitor the impact of not increasing them.

Care Homes

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department had any communication with representatives of Terra Firma about the company's short and long term plans for the care and nursing home group, Four Seasons, prior to its recent takeover of Four Seasons; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: There were no meetings before the take-over. Departmental officials met with representatives of Terra Firma on 1 May, after the announcement of the takeover, to discuss the company's plans and intentions.
	The Department welcomes any development that will help give security to the residents and employees of Four Seasons' care homes. This has always been the Government's priority.

Childbirth

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his policy is on the provision of cardiotocography machines in response to requests from women during labour;
	(2)  what advice his Department has issued on the availability of cardiotocography machines during childbirth.

Anne Milton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published ‘Intrapartum care’ guide in 2007, which provides evidence-based information for healthcare professionals and women and includes the statement that continuous electronic foetal monitoring should be available at a woman's request.
	There is no specific advice on availability of cardiotocography machines, but we would expect all maternity services to have adequate machines to enable them to follow NICE guidelines on foetal heart assessment.

Cystic Fibrosis

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has been made of the merits of exempting people with cystic fibrosis from prescription charges.

Simon Burns: In 2009, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore carried out a review to consider how to extend free prescriptions to all those with long-term conditions. This review made a number of proposals, and was published in May 2010 by the Government.
	We announced in the spending review, published in October 2010, that to ensure spending in the national health service is focused on priorities, some programmes announced by the previous Government would not be implemented—including proposals to extend free prescriptions to all those with long-term conditions.
	We are continuing to look at options for creating a fairer system of prescription charges and exemptions, which takes into account the overall NHS financial context and introduction of universal credit. We have no current plans for a further review of the list of medical conditions that confer exemption.

Depressive Illnesses

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the London borough of Bexley were diagnosed with depression in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Data published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre for 2010-11 show a total of 13,372 patients with a diagnosis of depression on registers within NHS Bexley under the Quality and Outcomes Framework for general practitioner practices.

Diabetes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the National implementation plan for diabetes will be published.

Paul Burstow: We are developing an outcomes strategy for long-term conditions. A companion document will be published on diabetes alongside this strategy by the end of 2012. We are also developing a cardiovascular outcome strategy, and that will set out the important links between cardiovascular disease and diabetes and this will also be published before the end of 2012.

Drugs: Regulation

Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to reduce the level of regulation governing the sale of motion sickness tablets for the purpose of improving access.

Simon Burns: The Government are keen to increase access to medicines, in the interest of public health, when it is acceptably safe to do so. To this end, as part of the Better Regulation of Medicines Initiative, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is developing proposals to simplify and speed the regulatory process that supports reclassification from prescription only to pharmacy or general sale availability.
	The vast majority of medicines authorised for the prevention or treatment of travel sickness are classified as P medicines, which means they can be sold or supplied without prescription from registered pharmacy premises by or under the supervision of a pharmacist. The involvement of a qualified health care professional helps to ensure these medicines are used safely and effectively.
	For a medicine such as those for motion sickness to be available as a GSL (general sales list) medicine on self-selection in general retail outlets, Ministers must be satisfied that it can be used safely without the involvement of a pharmacist. A company may, at any time, submit to the MHRA an application to reclassify a product from P to GSL which would need to demonstrate that access to professional advice is not required for the safe use of the medicine.

Epilepsy

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that the generic substitution of prescribed medication is not placing people with epilepsy at unnecessary risk.

Simon Burns: There are no national dispensing generic substitution arrangements. Pharmacists must supply medicines as specified by a prescriber on the prescription form. Prescribers are encouraged to prescribe rationally and to make the best possible use of national health service resources. It has long been the Department's policy to encourage the prescribing of medicines by their generic name, where possible. It is for doctors' clinical judgment as to which product they prescribe for their patient and providing a product is not listed in schedule 1 or 2 of the NHS (General Medical Service) Regulations 2004, doctors can prescribe any product, which they consider essential for the patient to receive.

Epilepsy

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unplanned hospitalisations patients with epilepsy had in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

Paul Burstow: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Count of finished admission episodes (1)  (FAEs) where the patient had a primary diagnosis (2 ) of epilepsy and was admitted as an emergency for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11, (3)  and provisional data from April 2011 to January 2012 (4) . 
			  April 2011 to January 2012 (4) 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 
			 FAEs total 32,483 39,126 38,335 37,679 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes (FAE) A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Primary diagnosisThe primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. ICD10 codes used: G40: Epilepsy G41: Status Epilepticus. (3) Assessing growth through timeHES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in national health service practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. (4) Provisional dataThe data are provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset. This shortfall will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period, that is November from the (month nine) April to November extract. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected. Data qualityHES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Epilepsy: Drugs

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on how many patients prescribed branded anti-epileptic drugs were switched to generic brands in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

Paul Burstow: This information is not collected centrally.

Hepatitis: Prisoners

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to improve access to screening and treatment for hepatitis C in prisons;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners in England (a) with hepatitis C, (b) screened for hepatitis C upon entering prison and (c) with hepatitis C undergoing treatment.

Paul Burstow: Offender Health has worked with Professor Martin Lombard, National Clinical Director for Liver Disease, to survey hepatitis C services in prisons in England. The aims of the survey were: to map existing service provision for prisoners in relation to hepatitis C testing and treatment; to develop a national database of services providing hepatitis C treatment for prisoners; and, to use the survey to develop a national hepatitis C prison network to share good practice across England and help to develop a model for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C in prison.
	A survey report is due to be published soon and is expected to demonstrate that prisons in England are providing access to screening and treatment for hepatitis C.
	Information is not collected centrally about the number of people living with hepatitis C in England and is therefore not available in respect of prisoners in England with hepatitis C, or being screened for hepatitis C upon entering prison or for prisoners with hepatitis C who are undergoing treatment.
	Offender Health have begun to collect quarterly data on the total number of tests carried out in prisons in England for Hepatitis C for the Prison Health Quality and Performance Indicators dataset. Data are available from April 2010 only and the number of tests performed per quarter in reporting prisons and the percentage of total new receptions to those prisons this figure represents is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of hepatitis C tests performed in prisons in England since April 2010: per quarter and as a percentage of total new receptions 
			   Number Percentage 
			 Q1 2010-11 1,498 4 
			 Q2 2010-11 1,793 5 
			 Q3 2010-11 1,722 5 
			 Q4 2010-11 2,187 7 
			 Q1 2011-12 2,477 7 
			 Q2 2011-12 2,585 6 
			 Q3 2011-12 2,746 6 
			 Source: NHS South West 
		
	
	However, this data may not reflect the total number of tests performed on people in prison as testing may also be carried out in sexual health services for example, which is not captured in this dataset.

Hospital Beds: Southwark

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were provided for NHS patients in hospitals in the London borough of Southwark in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Bed availability is collected from national health service providers at organisation level. The following table provides data for Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and King's College NHS Foundation Trust.
	
		
			 Average daily number of available beds, 2007-08 to 2011-12 
			  Quarter Overnight Day only 
			 Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust    
			 2007-08  1,103 148 
			 2008-09  1,113 161 
			 2009-10  1,109 170 
			 2010-11 Q1 1,108 117 
			 2010-11 Q2 1,037 120 
			 2010-11 Q3 1,037 116 
			 2010-11 Q4 1,040 123 
			 2011-12 Q1 1042 127 
			 2011-12 Q2 1,050 131 
			 2011-12 Q3 1,078 128 
			     
			 King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust    
			 2007-08  939 83 
			 2008-09  952 113 
			 2009-10  998 124 
			 2010-11 Q1 852 131 
			 2010-11 Q2 — — 
			 2010-11 Q3 — — 
			 2010-11 Q4 — — 
			 2011-12 Q1  — 
			 2011-12 Q2 886 127 
			 2011-12 Q3 834 128 
			 Note: The KH03 was an annual return up to and including 2009-10. In 2010-11 the KH03 became a quarterly return. The KH03 return was mandated for foundation trusts in 2011-12 and prior to this King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust chose not to submit a return for some quarters. Source: Department of Health KH03

Hospitals: Consultants

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to the public purse was of the hospital consultants clinical excellence and distinction awards system in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The total national health service spend in England for national level clinical excellence and distinction awards for the last five financial years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Spend (£ million) 
			 2007-08 190 
			 2008-09 180 
			 2009-10 202 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 203.5 
			 2011-12 190 
			 Notes: 1. These costs include monies for employer contributions to national insurance and pensions. 2. The costs include payments for non-hospital academic consultants employed on honorary national health service contract. 3. The information above does not include information on local clinical excellence awards (employer based awards) which are paid by trusts. This information is not held centrally. 4. The information above does not include national clinical excellence awards that are paid from central funds to consultants holding a national health service contract and employed in the Department or arm’s length bodies. 5. The reduction in expenditure in 2008-09 reflected a scrutiny exercise which identified a number of consultants who had retired without notifying the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards (any excess payments in 2007-08 were to trusts only and those monies were available for patient care. No consultants received payment to which they were not entitled).

Hospitals: Greater London

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) Camberwell and Peckham constituency and (b) the London borough of Southwark waited longer than 18 weeks for a consultation for secondary services in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The following tables show information on the number of non-admitted patients who waited more than 18 weeks from referral to start of treatment during the month, for Southwark Primary Care Trust (PCT), from August 2007 (when the data were first collected) to February 2012. The tables also show the percentage of non-admitted patients who started their treatment within 18 weeks over the same period, for Southwark PCT.
	
		
			 Southwark PCT 2007-09 
			 Referral to treatment (RTT) non-admitted patients treated during the month that waited more than 18 weeks Total Percentage in 18 weeks 
			 August 2007 1,151 75.2 
			 September 2007 975 75.3 
			 October 2007 785 84.3 
			 November 2007 801 84.0 
			 December 2007 509 88.1 
			 January 2008 696 86.9 
			 February 2008 560 88.6 
			 March 2008 306 91.6 
			 April 2008 305 92.1 
			 May. 2008 266 93.5 
			 June 2008 284 92.8 
			 July 2008 312 92.5 
			 August 2008 225 93.8 
			 September 2008 281 93.5 
			 October 2008 170 96.6 
			 November 2008 195 95.9 
			 December 2008 191 95.8 
			 January 2009 155 96.8 
			 February 2009 125 96.9 
			 March 2009 165 96.9 
			 April 2009 185 96.2 
		
	
	
		
			 May 2009 150 96.8 
			 June 2009 213 96.2 
			 July 2009 187 96.6 
			 August 2009 166 96.5 
			 September 2009 175 96.8 
			 October 2009 145 97.3 
			 November 2009 150 97.2 
			 December 2009 98 97.8 
			 Source: Department of Health, Knowledge and Intelligence 
		
	
	
		
			 Southwark PCT 2010-12 
			 RTT non-admitted patients treated during the month that waited more than 18 weeks Total Percentage in 18 weeks 
			 January 2010 92 98.0 
			 February 2010 107 97.8 
			 March 2010 125 97.9 
			 April 2010 86 98.3 
			 May 2010 128 97.5 
			 June 2010 102 97.6 
			 July 2010 155 97.4 
			 August 2010 101 98.2 
			 September 2010 176 97.0 
			 October 2010 148 97.2 
			 November 2010 219 96.4 
			 December 2010 181 96.3 
			 January 2011 259 95.4 
			 February 2011 208 96.1 
			 March 2011 273 95.8 
			 April 2011 185 96.3 
			 May 2011 195 96.7 
			 June 2011 205 96.9 
			 July 2011 172 97.1 
			 August 2011 200 96.8 
			 September 2011 234 96.5 
			 October 2011 212 96.8 
			 November 2011 227 96.6 
			 December 2011 146 97.3 
			 January 2012 205 96.7 
			 February 2012 156 97.4 
			 Source: Department of Health, Knowledge and Intelligence

Mental Illness

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to assess the outcomes of clinical interventions for soldiers with (a) post traumatic stress disorder and (b) other mental health issues.

Andrew Robathan: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
	The Defence Medical Services (DMS) mandate the use of evidence-based mental health treatments that have been rigorously reviewed and approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), unless specifically authorised for reasons such as clinical research. NICE only approves treatments which have been subject to rigorous scientific investigation to ensure that they are effective and do not cause harm.
	A recent enhancement to the electronic health records maintained by the Defence Medical Information Capability Programme (DMICP) enables clinicians to input data on patients being treated by our Departments of Community Mental Health at every clinical contact. In future, this will enable us to measure much more accurately the clinical outcomes for each patient, including the treatment they received, when they are returned to full fitness, and whether they subsequently require further treatment.

Multiple Sclerosis: Death Certificates

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 127W, on multiple sclerosis, if he will make it his policy that where multiple sclerosis is recorded on a medical certificate as a condition which contributed to the cause of death it is listed first.

Paul Burstow: Doctors are required to start with the immediate, direct cause of death and then go back through the sequence of events or conditions that led to death, until they reach the one that started the fatal sequence. This initiating condition will usually be selected as the underlying cause of death, according to the International Classification of Diseases coding rules.
	People with multiple sclerosis do not die directly from the condition, but if they are severely affected the risk of dying from a multiple sclerosis related complication (like an infection) is greater. Research suggests that, on average, life expectancy of people with multiple sclerosis is around 10 years lower than that of the general population.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010.

Simon Burns: The Department has not abolished any arm’s length bodies (ALBs) since May 2010. The Alcohol Education and Research Council, National Patient Safety Agency, and the General Social Care Council will be closed in July 2012. A number of other ALBs will close later in 2012 or early 2013.
	Two new ALBs—the Health Research Authority and the NHS Commissioning Board Authority have been established.

Nurses: Birmingham

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were employed in the NHS in South Birmingham in May 2010; and how many nurses are employed in the NHS in South Birmingham.

Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested. The number of full-time equivalent general practice and qualified nursing staff in the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA) in 2010-11 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 West Midlands SHA 
			  2010 2011 
			 GP practice nurses 1,555 1,524 
			 Hospital and community staff, including midwives and other qualified nursing staff 33,184 33,150 
			 Source: The Information Centre for health and social care

Palliative Care

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the effects of electronic palliative care co-ordination systems on choice at the end of life;
	(2)  what plans his Department has to encourage the use of electronic palliative care co-ordination systems.

Paul Burstow: With support from the National End of Life Care Programme, the Department piloted Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS), formerly known as End of Life Care Locality Registers, in eight localities. Ipsos MORI was commissioned to undertake an evaluation of these pilots. Their report, “End of Life Locality Registers Evaluation: Final Report (June, 2011)” identified the key challenges to developing such a system and how these were addressed via a range of approaches and solutions. The evaluation report is available at:
	www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk/publications/localities-registers-report
	When this report was published, only the Weston Area Health Trust and NHS South West pilot had outcomes data on the impact of the register. These early findings showed that, in tandem with other end of life care initiatives, particularly providing training in advance care planning, use of the register could significantly reduce deaths in hospital and enable many more people to die in their preferred place. Since then, the experiences of other EPaCCS implementers have reinforced these findings. The National End of Life Care Programme is currently collating outcomes data from all implementers, and will make these available to health and social care commissioners and providers to inform future service development.
	The National End of Life Care Programme, with support from the Department, has been taking forward a range of other work to support the wider uptake of EPaCCS. It has led on the development of an End of Life Care Co-ordination: Core Content Information Standard, which was approved by the Information Standards Board on 20 March 2012. The standard will underpin the development and use of EPaCCS, and details are available at:
	www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk/strategy/strategy/coordination-of-care/end-of-life-care-information-standard
	The National Programme is also working through the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) end of life care workstream, which identifies the importance of EPaCCS as a tool to support identification of people approaching the end of life and planning for their care, including advance care planning. In tandem with the Department's QIPP digital team, a series of events have been run around the country to share learning about EPaCCS, and to seek feedback on the technical work that can be undertaken nationally to support wider implementation.

Palliative Care

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department has given to improving access to social care to improve choice for people at the end of life.

Paul Burstow: We recognise the need to ensure that the care people receive at the end of life is compassionate, appropriate and supports the exercise of choice by care users. Improved access to social care and better integrated palliative care will be central to delivering improved choice, and this is an important part of the work we are doing to implement the Department's End of Life Care Strategy.
	One of the recommendations of the independent Palliative Care Funding Review was that, once a patient reaches the end of life stage, and is put on the end of life care locality register, all health and social care should be funded by the state and be free at the point of delivery. We are testing all the recommendations of the review through the eight Palliative Care Funding pilots we have set up, which will inform the development of a new funding system for palliative care from 2015.
	We have committed to publishing a social care White Paper shortly, alongside a progress report on funding reform. The Department jointly led the “Caring for our future” engagement last year, together with the care and support sector, which sought the views of people who use care and support services, carers, local councils, care providers and the voluntary sector, about the priorities for improving care and support. The White Paper will set out the Government’s plans for transforming the care and support system.

Pancreatic Cancer

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to improve awareness of pancreatic cancer and to encourage early diagnosis.

Paul Burstow: We are committed to improving outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with pancreatic cancer. Achieving earlier diagnosis of cancer is key to our ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives a year from cancer by 2014-15 and we have provided more than £450 million over the spending review period to improve general practitioner (GP) access to key diagnostic tests; support campaigns to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and to encourage people to visit their GP when they have persistent symptoms; and to pay for more treatment and testing in secondary care.
	We know that some types of cancer can be difficult diagnose, often because their symptoms are shared with more common, benign conditions. To better understand the barriers to early diagnosis and to discuss possible solutions, departmental officials met with a range of cancer charities during spring and summer 2011, including two pancreatic cancer charities. This work has been fed into the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative. I also met with Pancreatic Cancer UK on 17 December 2011 to hear their concerns in more detail and I will be attending the charity's early diagnosis workshop in June 2012.
	To further address the need to improve awareness of rarer cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, consideration also is being given to piloting a symptom-based approach awareness campaign covering multiple cancers. A final decision on campaign work in 2011-12 will be subject to funding and Efficiency and Reform Group approval.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the process is for referring a former soldier who may have post traumatic stress disorder to a trauma unit;
	(2)  what proportion of veterans in the community with post traumatic stress disorder are also addicted to alcohol or drugs;
	(3)  what the monthly cost is of residence at a trauma unit for former military personnel;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of veterans in the community with post traumatic stress disorder.

Simon Burns: With regard to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), overall, primary and secondary mental health services are organised around local need as determined by primary care trusts and foundation trusts. A number of trusts have developed specialist trauma services to deal with complex PTSD. Outside this group there are a number of reputable services and psychological therapies services that also offer National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence concordant interventions for complex PTSD. These services marry well with primary care services and the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) group. The large investment in IAPT services has meant that these services are managing all people with less complicated PTSD presentations.
	All local services will have a strategy for managing alcohol and other substance use disorders.
	In addition, the Armed Forces Networks (based on the previous 10 strategic health authority areas) have been putting in place increased resources and mental health professionals focussed on providing services to veterans with mental health problems.
	The Department does not collect information in relation to numbers of veterans with drug and alcohol addictions centrally.
	It is not possible to give ‘general’ figures in relation to residence at a trauma unit, as these would vary depending on the unit in question, the resident's needs, the length of stay, etc.
	Data provided by the Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, King's College London, suggest that 4% of armed forces not deployed report symptoms of probable PTSD and 4% of those deployed report symptoms of probable PTSD (being deployed itself is not associated with PTSD among regulars). This reflects the level of PTSD within the wider population as a whole. Based on current evidence, 7% of those who deploy in a combat role are likely to report symptoms of PTSD at some point post-deployment. Information is not available on the number of armed forces personnel suffering from complex PTSD and/or acute stress.

Prescription Drugs

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to enable local pharmacies to supply prescription medicines to patients without delays in sourcing the medicines.

Simon Burns: Pharmaceutical services in Scotland are the responsibility of the Scottish Government. In England pharmacies make their own commercial arrangements with suppliers and the Department has agreed with stakeholders joint best practice for ensuring the efficient supply and distribution of medicines to patients. The Department continues to work collaboratively with medicines supply chain stakeholders (including those representing community pharmacists) to better understand and mitigate the impact of supply difficulties so that patients receive the medicines they need promptly.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Simon Burns: The Department operates standard contractual payment terms of 30 days. However, the Department has also signed up to the Government's prompt payment policy under which the target is to pay all valid supplier invoices that are received at the nominated address within five days of receipt. Performance against this target is published on the Department's website within six days of the previous month.
	While the question makes specific reference to paying small and medium-sized enterprises, Departments and their agencies have agreed to bring forward payments to all businesses, given the role of larger businesses in the supply chain.
	The proportion of invoices paid late in accordance with our contract terms (30 days) and after five days of receipt (the prompt payment target) each month since May 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Paid later than 30 days Paid later than five days 
			 2010   
			 May 1.32 12.48 
			 June 0.93 12.40 
			 July 0.59 6.26 
			 August 0.29 9.52 
			 September 0.40 9.45 
			 October 0.39 6.86 
			 November 0.25 11.22 
			 December 0.22 4.06 
			    
			 2011   
			 January 0.43 12.86 
			 February 0.52 2.84 
			 March 0.26 4.00 
			 April 0.09 5.55 
			 May 0.90 3.19 
			 June 0.84 6.35 
			 July 0.76 4.60 
		
	
	
		
			 August 0.57 4.87 
			 September 0.42 3.70 
			 October 0.46 3.36 
			 November 0.75 3.59 
			 December 0.90 4.20 
			    
			 2012   
			 January 0.72 4.23 
			 February 0.83 4.29 
			 March 0.91 6.57 
			 April 0.58 7.17

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Simon Burns: The Department's expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, “Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On”:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Simon Burns: Following an announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General on 6 February 2012, the Department, along with all other central Government Departments, is required to undertake a spend recovery audit by December 2013.
	The Department has not undertaken a spend recovery audit to date and is taking direction from the Cabinet Office, who are currently identifying procurement options that will enable Government Departments to commission spend recovery audits in an efficient manner, securing best value for money for the taxpayer.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the NHS has to replace old radiotherapy equipment in the next three years; whether those plans include an exclusive national price agreement with one radiotherapy equipment supplier; and how he plans to ensure that radiotherapy equipment replacement programmes are compatible with the requirement for openness and transparency under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Paul Burstow: Decisions regarding renewal of radiotherapy machines are taken locally and need to be assessed against local priorities. It is the responsibility of each individual organisation to ensure that it adopts good asset management and financial planning. However, national teams such as the National Cancer Action Team and NHS Improvement provide support to help providers plan for their equipment needs.
	The Department has recently worked with NHS Supply Chain to launch a new procurement scheme that allows trusts to access high-value medical equipment at significantly discounted prices. The scheme allows NHS Supply Chain to purchase equipment up front through use of a central capital fund, and then pass on discounts to trusts. The scheme does not limit choice or supplier.
	Within the Cancer Peer Review programme, the radiotherapy measures require local organisations to agree an equipment replacement programme with their cancer network. The outcome of the Peer Review programme is shared with commissioners.

Radiotherapy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of cancer patients in each primary care trust area in England who have to travel for more than 45 minutes in order to access their nearest radiotherapy treatment centre.

Paul Burstow: We have made no estimate of the number of cancer patients in each primary care trust area in England who have to travel for more than 45 minutes in order to access their nearest radiotherapy treatment centre.
	The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG) report ‘Radiotherapy: developing a world class service for England’, published in 2007, provided clear guidance to support commissioners in the provision of radiotherapy services. The NRAG report recommended that, where possible, patients should not travel more than 45 minutes for radiotherapy treatment. A copy of this report has already been placed in the Library.
	Since the publication of the NRAG report, the National Cancer Action Team has continued to provide advice to commissioners and providers to help them assess travel times for their patients and plan the location of new services.

Schizophrenia

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of people with schizophrenia who rely on a family member or carer to manage their condition;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the effects of schizophrenia on families and carers; and how much funding his Department plans to allocate to support these families.

Paul Burstow: We do not collect the information requested centrally. However, in 2009-10, the Department commissioned the National Health Service Information Centre to undertake a survey of carers in households as part of its Carers' Strategy programme. Over 2,000 carers were interviewed and were asked a question to establish why the people they cared for needed their help, including their health needs. 13% of the responses indicated that the cared for person required help ‘for a mental health problem’.
	The cross-Government mental health outcomes strategy No Health Without Mental Health, published in February 2011, sets out the Government's commitment to improving mental health and mental health services. The strategy implementation framework focuses on improving outcomes, quality and value for money, and on ensuring that people who use mental health services, their families and carers, are fully involved in all aspects of services.

Schizophrenia

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to improve diagnosis, treatment and access to long-lasting injectables for people in prison with schizophrenia;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of prisoners (a) with schizophrenia, (b) receiving treatment for schizophrenia and (c) released with schizophrenia in England in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: Offenders are entitled to expect, and receive, the same quality of treatments and services from the national health service as anyone else. All prisons have access to on-site health care teams, which can treat most mental health problems and issue prescriptions required by prisoners.
	From 2013, the National Health Service Commissioning Board (NHSCB) will be responsible for commissioning of health services for those in custody. The NHSCB will assume commissioning responsibilities for mental health services for those in prison and other detained settings.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence updated its schizophrenia guidelines in 2009. They cover the care, treatment and support that adults, aged 18 and older, with schizophrenia should be offered. The guidelines recommended Cognitive Behavioural Therapy be offered in an acute episode of schizophrenia. These guidelines apply to all adults, including prisoners.
	The NHS is responsible for commissioning health care in prisons where prisoners are entitled to receive the same level of care as people in the community. The services provided are based on a health needs assessment undertaken by the NHS commissioner and the prison, but all prisons have access to mental health care delivered by primary care and specialist mental health services.
	The information requested about schizophrenia services and morbidity is not collected centrally. However, a survey by the Office for National Statistics in 1997 estimated that around 90% of adult prisoners had at least one of the five disorders considered in the survey (personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence). This is an aggregate figure so the data will include adult prisoners with schizophrenia but the exact proportion of prisoners with schizophrenia is not known.
	The Department is currently setting up an audit of the mental health needs of offenders, both in prison and where possible in community settings. A feasibility study for this work is due to start later this year and a fuller research study is expected to be commissioned in 2013.

Streptococcus

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve awareness of Group B streptococcus.

Anne Milton: A midwife offers every woman testing for asymptomatic bacteria at booking in pregnancy and this includes looking for Group B streptococcus (GBS).
	Information for women on GBS (early and late onset) is available on the NHS Choices website at:
	www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2037.aspx?categoryid=54& subcategoryid=137
	including a link to the Group B Strep Support charity.
	The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has produced patient information, “Preventing group B streptococcus (GBS) infection in newborn babies (information for you)”, for women and their families who are expecting a baby or are planning to get pregnant. Advice from that guidance also features on the NHS Choices website.
	The RCOG has a Green-top guideline, Prevention of Early onset Group B Streptococcal Disease, which provides guidance for obstetricians, midwives and neonatologists on the prevention of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease.

Streptococcus

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Portsmouth South constituency were (a) tested for, (b) diagnosed with and (c) treated for Group B streptococcus in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Data on how many people are tested, diagnosed and treated for infections caused by Group B streptococcus are not collected within constituency boundaries. 170 cases of Group B streptococcus blood stream infection were reported to the Health Protection Agency in 2010 through routine laboratory surveillance for the South East region population. This covers all age groups. Data on testing and treatment are not collected.

Streptococcus

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many NHS Trusts offer enriched culture medium testing;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to increase the number of NHS trusts offering enriched culture medium tests.

Anne Milton: Information on the number of national health service trusts which offer testing for group B streptococcus carriage (GBS) in pregnancy using the enriched culture medium test is not held centrally.
	The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the NHS in all four United Kingdom countries about all aspects of screening policy, including screening policy for GBS carriage in pregnancy. In 2008-09 the UK NSC recommended that a national screening programme to test for GBS carriage in pregnancy using the enriched culture medium test should not be offered. The UK NSC is currently reviewing the evidence for screening for GBS carriage in pregnancy using the enriched culture medium test against its criteria again. A public consultation on the screening review will open in June 2012.

Streptococcus

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died from bacterial infection stemming from Group B streptococcus in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: Information on the number of people who have died from group B streptococcal infection for the last 10 years for which data are available is in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of deaths (1,2)  where the underlying cause is Streptococcus B, England and Wales, 2001-10 
			  ICD-10 A40.1 Septicaemia due to streptococcus B ICD-10 J15.3 Pneumonia due to streptococcus B ICD-10 P23.3 Congenital pneumonia due to streptococcus B ICD-10 P36.0 Sepsis of newborn due to streptococcus B Total 
			 2001 4 0 0 0 4 
			 2002 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2003 4 0 0 1 5 
			 2004 5 0 0 0 5 
			 2005 3 0 0 0 3 
			 2006 5 0 0 0 5 
			 2007 5 0 0 1 6 
			 2008 3 1 0 1 5 
			 2009 3 1 0 0 4 
			 2010 7 0 0 0 7 
			 (1) Figures for 2001-05 are based on death occurrences. (2) Figures for 2006-10 are based on death registrations Source: Office for National Statistics

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to tackle malnutrition in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK is scaling up to reach 20 million pregnant women and children under five with nutrition interventions by 2015. Our support includes providing minerals such as iron which can reduce mother and infant deaths, and vitamin A to prevent blindness.
	We have also increased spending to improve nutrition in developing countries from an estimated £57 million to £152 million per year from 2008-09 to 2011-12. Our spending on nutrition-related research has gone from £6.1 million to £20.4 million over the same period.
	In line with the G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, the UK is already supporting the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement—the most promising mechanism to bring the international community together behind a common vision for tackling under-nutrition, and intervening in the ‘1,000 day window’ of life to prevent stunting.

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to raise malnutrition and problems associated with physical and intellectual growth at the forthcoming G8 summit; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Improved nutrition in developing countries is an important element of the new G8 Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, and a priority for the UK Government.
	At the food security symposium preceding Camp David on 18 May, I emphasised the importance of ensuring that improved nutrition was an outcome of our collective efforts under the new alliance.

Israel

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on international disaster response efforts.

Alan Duncan: The UK holds regular discussions at official level with the Israeli authorities on disaster response planning for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In February 2012, UK and Israeli officials participated in the annual United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordination network (UNDAC) Board meeting. UNDAC is an international response tool which provides rapid response and co-ordination facilities in the case of international disasters.

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent employees his Department employed in May 2010; and how many it employed at the latest period for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: DFID employed the following full-time equivalent employees:
	
		
			  Home civil servants Staff appointed in country Total 
			 1 May 2010 1,588 769 2,357 
			 1 May 2012 1,662 850 2,512

Departmental Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited to his Department in the last two years.

Alan Duncan: The following full time equivalent employees have (a) left and (b) been recruited by DFID in the last two years:
	
		
			  (a) Left DFID (b) Recruited to DFID 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 125 92 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 150 235

North Africa and Middle East

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes his Department supports in North Africa and the Middle East on (a) women's social and political participation, (b) women's health and (c) reduction of female genital mutilation.

Alan Duncan: The UK is supporting the empowerment of women to play a full role in the political, economic and social life across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). As part of the UK's national action plan to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security we have a specific action plan for the MENA region:
	(a) In terms of women's social and political participation, the UK's Arab Partnership is supporting women's political participation in the MENA region. For example, in Egypt we are working with the Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS) to promote the participation of women candidates in Egyptian local council elections and engagement of communities with their local councillors. The tri-department Conflict Pool has a suite of programmes in Libya encouraging women's participation in the Libyan political process.
	In our bilateral aid programmes in Yemen and Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) we have also ensured women's empowerment is taken into account. For example, our support to the Yemeni Social Fund for Development (SFD) is contributing to increasing girls’ participation and access to education, and improving economic opportunities for women through micro finance and labour intensive works projects. In the OPTs, our statebuilding programme is also boosting citizen's rights by helping the Palestinian Authority to be more accountable and responsive to the public, including improving their services for female victims of violence.
	(b) Our bilateral programmes in Yemen and the OPT, also improving women's health. For example, UK support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) provides essential services, including female healthcare, to Palestinians living in the OPTs and Palestinian refugees across the near region. In 2011, our support to UNRWA helped provide maternal healthcare to 263,000 women, while our funding to the PA supports over 2,000 women a year to give birth assisted by skilled health personnel. In Yemen, our support will also help deliver access to basic health care for 50,000 girls and women and access to health care for approximately 38,000 women.
	(c) The Government is clear that the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) needs to end. While we do not have any specific FGM programmes in the MENA region, we are making a clear contribution to global measures to eliminating FGM through our core support to UN organisations working on this issue, namely the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

North Africa and Middle East

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of renewable energy and recycling in the Middle East and North Africa.

Alan Duncan: The UK's main focus in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is to support economic and political transition.
	We are funding projects through our Arab Partnership Economic Facility which are encouraging investment in renewable energy and recycling in the MENA. For example the UK is providing £5 million between 2012 to 2015 to support the work of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the MENA region. One of EBRD's priority areas is renewable energy and energy efficiency investments.
	The UK is providing £10 million between 2009 and 2014 for the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) work in MENA, which includes a study on clean energy opportunities for the private sector in six energy scarce MENA countries, as well as supporting two large electricity distribution companies in Jordan to explore opportunities to promote energy efficiency and clean energy.

Overseas Aid

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the areas of aid policy in which the European Commission has a competitive advantage over the UK.

Stephen O'Brien: DFID's multilateral aid review called for EU aid to be more poverty and results focused. The coalition Government is working tirelessly to reform the EU system and hold it to account on behalf of UK taxpayers. We are also pressing the EU to focus on areas where it can add the most value, such as working with the private sector to improve the business environment in developing countries and help people pull themselves out of poverty. The EU's size means it has the ability to implement large scale regional projects—such as roads, rail and energy infrastructure. We are working to ensure EU aid supports effective regional integration, particularly in Africa.
	The EU has a strong record on humanitarian response—for example, its reaction to the recent famine in the Sahel. We are working to ensure a stronger EU focus on resilience and disaster mitigation. We are also pushing the EU to prioritise support to girls and women, who are fundamental to development. Of course, development is not just about aid. One of the EU's greatest strengths is its potential to deliver a co-ordinated approach that brings together aid, trade and foreign policy. We are working with European partners to make EU policies more coherent so they better support poor, vulnerable and fragile states around the world.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of payments made by his Department to small and medium-sized enterprises have been paid late since May 2010.

Alan Duncan: The proportion of payments made by DFID to small and medium-sized enterprises between April 2011 and March 2012 that have been paid late is 0.90% (less than 1%).
	DFID did not track its spend with small and medium-sized enterprises prior to April 2011 when the Department's internet based supplier portal was launched and as a result we are unable to provide the proportion of payments that were paid late to SMEs for the period between May 2010 and March 2011.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Alan Duncan: The proportion of the Department for International Development's expenditure which has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since April 2011 to March 2012 is 29%.
	DFID did not track its spend with small and medium-sized enterprises prior to April 2011 when the Department's internet-based supplier portal was launched and as a result we are unable to provide the proportion of spend that is with SMEs for the period between May 2010 and March 2011.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Alan Duncan: DFID is aware of the cross government requirement to introduce spend-recovery audits. Cabinet Office is leading on the initiative but DFID will be fielding an individual to co-ordinate work within our own Department and attend the associated workshops. The output of these workshops is expected to provide guidance into the way in which spend-recovery audits are rolled out across central Government, in order to meet the December 2013 deadline.
	DFID currently has system-based controls and monthly internal procedures, which are used throughout the year to identify possible duplicate payments. In addition, as part of the external audit process of the annual report and accounts our external auditors carry out an audit of our transaction system to identify possible duplicate payments.

Sahel

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Government spent on responding to the food crisis in the Sahel region of Africa in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Andrew Mitchell: The amount allocated by the Government to food security in the Sahel in 2010, 2011 and 2012 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2010 21,088,206 
			 2011 8,019,010 
			 2012 10,000,000 
		
	
	Funds allocated in 2010 and 2012 were provided in response to the food crisis in those years. There was no food crisis in the Sahel in 2011—funds shown as allocated in 2011 were utilised for ongoing recovery programmes following the 2010 crisis.
	UK officials continue to monitor current the situation closely, and liaise with their opposite numbers to ensure that other countries take their fair share of the response.

Sahel

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what priorities he has set for responding to the food crisis in the Sahel region of Africa.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK has responded early to the food crisis in the Sahel. To ensure maximum impact from UK funds in supporting the most vulnerable, we will support over 400,000 people across the region in 2012. This will achieve the following results:
	(a) 155,000 children and women will benefit from improved nutrition, including 87,000 children under five to be treated for severe acute malnutrition;
	(b) 153,000 people will receive food; and
	(c) over 100,000 people will benefit from community livelihood support such as animal food and vaccinations and cash transfers.
	UK officials continue to monitor the situation closely.

South Sudan

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to encourage a change in attitudes that tolerate and perpetuate violence against women and girls in South Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: In South Sudan, the UK is working to expand women's opportunities and, over time, transform attitudes towards them. Our South Sudan programming includes planned work on girls' education, through which we intend to support 200,000 girls in school, including by tackling cultural attitudes which limit girls' attendance of school. This will likely include work in communities and a media campaign. We are also considering a programme to help improve access to justice for South Sudanese women within their own communities, using both formal and informal systems. These programmes should benefit the individual girls and women concerned, but also raise women and girls' status and address attitudes that tolerate and perpetuate violence.

South Sudan

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department's Strategic Vision for Women and Girls will be applied in South Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: The South Sudan Operational Plan includes an assessment of the situation of women and girls in South Sudan. This analysis confirms the importance of the four pillars of DFID's strategic vision—economic empowerment, health, education, and tackling violence against women and girls—in South Sudan. Girls and women frequently face domestic violence, and violence related to conflict and insecurity. South Sudan has the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world, and was recently categorised as one of the 10 worst places in the world to be a mother. There is also a significant gender gap in education, with less than 20% of South Sudanese women being literate.
	In response to these massive challenges the coalition Government has put support for girls and women at the centre of our development work in South Sudan. We are developing planned programmes which should support the education of 200,000 girls, provide antenatal care to at least 21,500 women, start at least 10,000 people on family planning, and help to improve access to justice for 250,000 women.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Executive

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward legislative proposals to lower the limit on the number of Government Ministers in line with his proposed reduction in the number of parliamentary constituencies.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The Government have been clear that they recognise the principle that there is a link between the legislature and the size of the executive; but this issue does not need to be resolved now, since the reduction in the size of the House of Commons would not take effect until 2015. The Government intend to reflect on the arguments made during the passage of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, and set out their plans once there is greater clarity on the composition of the second Chamber, including how many Ministers would be drawn from there. The Government remain committed to strengthening Parliament in relation to the Executive.

House of Lords: Reform

John Spellar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the Government's estimate of the cost of setting up and running the House of Lords as envisaged in his draft Bill.

Mark Harper: The costs of a reformed House of Lords will depend on a number of variables. In particular the number of members and the transitional arrangements will affect the cost of members' salaries and allowances. We are considering the report of the Joint Committee on the Government's draft Bill before finalising our proposals for reform. We will publish full costs when we introduce a Bill.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  when he plans to bring forward legislation to reform political party donations in respect of the political levy paid by trade union members;
	(2)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require trade unions to receive consent on an annual basis from each of their members to (a) deduct a political levy from their membership subscriptions and (b) use the political levy to make donations to a political party.

Mark Harper: The Government is committed to pursuing agreement on limiting donations and reforming party funding. The Deputy Prime Minister has established cross-party discussions to identify a way forward, as far as possible on the basis of consensus. These discussions are ongoing.

Voter Identification

Nick de Bois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to introduce legislation to require photo-identification at polling stations; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government has no current plans to legislate to require photographic identification to be produced by voters at polling stations. We are taking steps within the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill to strengthen the security of the electoral system, most notably by speeding up the introduction of individual electoral registration.
	Any further significant changes to the way elections are administered would need careful consideration to ensure an effective balance between accessibility and security is maintained.

CABINET OFFICE

Average Earnings

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the average earnings of full-time employees in Pendle constituency for April in each year since 2000.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office to estimate the average earnings of full-time employees in Pendle constituency for April of each year since 2000. (108982)
	Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	The following table shows the median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in Pendle constituency for April of each year from 2000 until 2011, the latest period for which figures are available.
	
		
			 Median gross weekly earnings for full-time employee jobs (1) : Pendle constituency from 2000 to 2011 
			  £ 
			 2000 *344.1 
			 2001 *323.2 
			 2002 *320.9 
			 2003 *318.4 
			 2004(2) *339.5 
			 2004(3) *339.2 
			 2005 *375.8 
			 2006(4) *382.0 
			 2006(5) *381.8 
			 2007 *388.8 
			 2008 *419.9 
		
	
	
		
			 2009 *385.0 
			 2010 *410.8 
			 2011(6) *384.2 
			 2011(7) *378.8 
			 (1) Full-time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. As at April of each year. (2) 2004 results excluding supplementary survey for comparison with 2003. (3) 2004 results including supplementary survey designed to improve coverage of the survey. For more information see National Statistics website: www.statistics.gov.uk (4) 2006 results with methodology consistent with 2005. (5) 2006 results with methodology consistent with 2007. (6) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification, 2000. (7) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2010. Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. Key: * CV >5% and <= 10% Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics 2000 to 2011

Billing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what mechanisms are in place to ensure that payments are made within 30 days to public sector contractors hired by his Department.

Francis Maude: In line with Government policy, the Cabinet Office aims to pay all invoices within 10 working days of receipt. Cabinet Office's standard terms and conditions state that payment should be made within 30 days.

Charities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the potential additional funding that charitable trusts and foundations would distribute if a five per cent minimum payout threshold were introduced; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office does not hold this information. The Government considered this reform in the Giving Green Paper. The response we received from the sector was largely negative, and we decided not to introduce a minimum payout clause at this current time.

Community Development

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many senior community organisers his Department expects to train in each quarter to 2015.

Francis Maude: The Government is committed to training 500 senior community organisers over the course of this Parliament.

Employment: Disability

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many disabled people were in paid work in (a) Birmingham Ladywood constituency and (b) Birmingham city council area in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many disabled people were in paid work in (a) Birmingham Ladywood constituency and (b) Birmingham City Council area in each of the last five years. (108611)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Due to small sample sizes estimates are not available for Birmingham Ladywood constituency. Table 1 shows the number of people identifying themselves as disabled who were in employment and resident in Birmingham, for the 12 month periods ending in September for 2007 to 2011, from the APS.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of disabled (1)  people in employment resident in Birmingham in each of the last five years 
			  Thousand 
			 12 months ending September:  
			 2007 53 
			 2008 54 
			 2009 51 
			 2010 56 
			 2011(2) **61 
			 (1) People who are DDA disabled or have a work-limiting disability. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey

Government Departments: Databases

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1175W, on Government Departments: databases, how many central Government data centres were identified in the survey commissioned by the Chief Information Officer Council in June 2010.

Francis Maude: 215 central Government data centres were identified in the survey commissioned by the HM Government Chief Information Office in June 2010.

Government Departments: Databases

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the baseline cost was for central Government data centres in 2011.

Francis Maude: As part of the government ICT strategy this information is currently being compiled.

Innovation in Giving Fund

Andrew Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what awards have been made from the Innovation in Giving Fund (a) nationally and (b) in Yorkshire and the Humber in the latest period for which figures are available.

Francis Maude: To date the Innovation in Giving Fund has backed 32 innovative ideas nationally, with over £2.5 million of financial support. Details can be found on NESTA's website:
	http://giving.nesta.org.uk
	It is important to note that wherever projects are based, many will operate regionally or nationwide, benefiting wider areas and communities.
	The second round of the fund, launched by NESTA on 23 April, will offer further opportunities for organisations from across the country.

Mitzvah Day UK

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding he has allocated to Mitzvah Day UK.

Francis Maude: In 2011-12 the Cabinet Office provided a £30,000 grant to Mitzvah Day to fund an administrator role for the ‘Year of Service' programme. This is an inter-faith series of events promoting and linking up faith-based volunteering during the Diamond Jubilee year, with nine faith communities in turn hosting a day or days of volunteering.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many quangos his Department has (a) abolished and (b) established since May 2010.

Francis Maude: While there is no formal definition of a quango, 15 Cabinet Office bodies were reviewed after May 2010. Since then the Cabinet Office has abolished seven non-departmental public bodies and two non-ministerial departments. The Cabinet Office has not established any non-departmental public bodies since May 2010.

Older People

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many people aged over 60 are registered (a) sick and (b) unemployed in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people aged over 60 are not registered (a) sick and (b) unemployed in England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking i) how many people aged over 60 are registered (a) sick or (b) unemployed in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available (108375) and ii) how many people aged over 60 are not registered (a) sick or (b) unemployed in England in the latest period for which figures are available (108376).
	It is estimated from the Labour Force Survey in January to March 2012 that in England & Wales there were 115,000 people aged over 60 who were unemployed and 515,000 people economically inactive due to long-term sickness or disability. For the same period it is estimated that in England 11.1 million people aged over 60 were neither unemployed nor economically inactive due to long-term sickness or disability.
	A registered count of people aged over 60 who are ‘sick' or ‘unemployed' is not available. The Labour Force Survey provides estimates of unemployment based upon the International Labour Organization (ILO) measure, that is, those who are without a job and are actively seeking employment and available to start work. It also provides estimates of people who are economically inactive, that is, people who are without a job but do not satisfy the ILO criteria to be unemployed.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Population

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the proportion of the population in each age band; and what account was taken of the effect of variant population projections on the population.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking (a) what estimate has been made of the proportion of the population in each age band; and (b) what account was taken of the effect of variant population projections on the population (108305).
	Table 1 shows the percentage of the usually resident population of the UK in each age group in mid-2010. These are the latest available population estimates.
	
		
			 Table 1: Percentage of UK population in each age group, mid-2010 
			 Age Percentage 
			 All ages 100 
			 0-4 6 
			 5-9 6 
			 10-14 6 
			 15-19 6 
			 20-24 7 
			 25-29 7 
			 30-34 6 
			 35-39 7 
			 40-44 7 
			 45-49 7 
		
	
	
		
			 50-54. 6 
			 55-59 6 
			 60-64 6 
			 65-69 5 
			 70-74 4 
			 75-79 3 
			 80-84 2 
			 85-89 2 
			 90 and over 1 
			 Sources: Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 
		
	
	The mid-2010 population estimates are based on the 2001 Census and take account of annual population change estimated using current administrative and survey data. They are estimates rather than projections and therefore no account was taken of the effect of variant population projections.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of his Department's expenditure on procurement has gone to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 2010.

Francis Maude: Information on the Cabinet Office's expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises is included in the SME Progress Report and the Cabinet Office Business Plan Quarterly Data Summaries which are published on the Department's website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/government-business-smes
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/business-plan-quarterly-data-summary

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report column 1177-8W, on the public sector: procurement, what the timetable is for each Government Department to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Francis Maude: For years the Government has lost billions of pounds of taxpayers' money per annum through fraud and error. My Department is determined to address this and in 2010 set up a Fraud, Error and Debt taskforce to help co-ordinate cross-government policy.
	The Cabinet Office will provide support across Government to help each Department, carry out a spend recovery audit by December 2013.

Procurement

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when his Department next expects to undertake a spend recovery audit to identify overpayments to suppliers caused by fraud or error.

Francis Maude: For years the Government has lost billions of pounds of taxpayers' money per annum through fraud, error and uncollected debt. My Department is determined to address this and in 2010 set up a Fraud, Error and Debt taskforce to co-ordinate cross-government policy.
	In line with the Government commitment to do so, the Cabinet Office will undertake and complete a spend-recovery audit by December 2013.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department issues guidance to Government Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on the use of name-blank CVs or application forms for recruitment.

Francis Maude: Although recruitment processes differ between Departments, Civil Service Resourcing introduced an e-recruitment system that allows Departments to “blind” sift applicants by removing protected characteristics (for example: name, age, sex) from an application form.

Risk Assessment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what risk registers are held by the Big Lottery Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: The Big Lottery Fund maintains risk registers including at corporate and programme level as well as for major projects. BIG's approach to risk identification and management is guided by its risk and control framework, details of which are set out in its annual report.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12;
	(2)  how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse;
	(3)  how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12;
	(4)  if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies;
	(5)  how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years;
	(6)  how many meetings have taken place between (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies and trade union representatives utilising paid facility time in each of the last five years to discuss (i) collective bargaining, (ii) redundancies, (iii) negotiations relating to employment, pay and conditions and (iv) other trade union and industrial relations duties; and what the dates and times were of each meeting;
	(7)  on how many occasions trade union representatives from (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have utilised paid facility time to represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter in each of the last five years.

Francis Maude: During 2011-12 the Cabinet Office had 12 staff that were allocated part-time facility time. There were no full-time representatives. In 2011-12 the PCS had 204 paid facility time days at an estimated cost of £27,500 to the taxpayer and Prospect had 48 days at an estimated cost of £2,500. The FDA had no formal allocation of facility time during this period.
	The Cabinet Office does not hold information on the proportion of time spent on duties and activities. However, it is estimated to be about 95% duties and 5% activities.
	A copy of the Cabinet Office Facility Time agreement will be placed in the Library.
	There have been no cases in the last five years where Cabinet Office staff representing trade unions have faced disciplinary action for abusing facility time or public resources.
	The Cabinet Office management meets regularly with the unions to discuss pay, contractual terms and redundancies. There is no information held on about the amount of time spent on specific meetings. However, the majority of time was spent on formal consultation and negotiation which falls within the terms of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the Cabinet Office Protocols for handling Staff in Surplus Situations.
	The Government will be consulting the civil service trade unions shortly on changes to current practices around facilities time.

Veterans: Jobseeker’s Allowance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many former service personnel were claiming jobseeker's allowance on (a) 1 January 2011, (b) 1 January 2012 and (c) 1 May 2012;
	(2)  how many former service personnel are claiming jobseeker's allowance;
	(3)  how many former service personnel have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for (a) longer than and (b) under one year.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking (1) how many former service personnel were claiming jobseeker's allowance on (a) 1 January 2011, (b) 1 January 2012 and (c) 1 May 2012; (2) how many former service personnel are claiming jobseeker's allowance and (3) how many former service personnel have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for (a) longer than and (b) under one year. (108339 & 108340 & 108341).
	The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is taken from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. Analysis is published each month on the number of claimants of JSA by the claimant's usual occupation and sought occupation. Occupations are defined using the Standard Occupational Classification 2000.
	Table 1 shows the number, of former service personnel claiming JSA in January 2011, January 2012 and April 2012, the most recent date for which figures are available. Former service personnel has been defined as SOC 2000 usual occupations 1171 (officer in the armed forces) and 3311 (NCO's and other ranks).
	Data for ‘duration of claim' are not available for the requested occupational breakdowns.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number (1)  of former service personnel (2)  claiming jobseeker's allowance by usual occupation 
			  Number 
			 January 2011 490 
			 January 2012 460 
			 April 2012 455 
			 (1) Occupation data are only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7% of all claims. (2) Occupation based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000:1,171 (officers in the armed forces) and 3,311 (NCOs and other ranks) Note: Data rounded to nearest 5. Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System

Voluntary Work: Young People

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to publish the cost per participant of the National Citizen Service in its first year.

Francis Maude: An assessment of costs, including cost per commissioned place, is covered in the evaluation report of the 2011 pilots.
	The evaluation can be found at:
	http://www.natcen.ac.uk/study/national-citizen-service-evaluation
	A summary is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/new-figures-reveal-national-citizen-service-track-deliver-400-million-benefits-society-2014

WORK AND PENSIONS

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who were previously employed in any capacity by (i) the Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) the Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(2)  what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative Party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Chris Grayling: This information is not recorded as part of the procurement process. The Department only makes grants to non-profit making organisations and not to individuals.

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(2)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who previously held an elected position as a member of the (a) Conservative Party and (b) Liberal Democrat Party since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Chris Grayling: This information is not recorded as part of the procurement process. For consultancy services, the Department contracts with the organisation rather than the individuals who work for the consultancy firm.

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) job title and (b) pay band is of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) complies with the Civil Service Recruitment Commissioners principles. Where DWP vacancies are filled externally to the civil service, posts are always advertised publicly. Selection for appointment is on merit and on the basis of fair and open competition.
	The DWP does not require those recruited to complete a full employment history and only asks applicants to provide details of their current and three previous employment positions.
	The DWP does not specifically record details of those who have been recruited who were previously employed in any capacity by any political party.
	Therefore the information requested is not available from departmental records.

Departmental Staff: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) job title and (b) pay band is of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative Party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) complies with the Civil Service Recruitment Commissioners principles. Where DWP vacancies are filled externally to the civil service, posts are always advertised publicly. Selection for appointment is on merit and on the basis of fair and open competition.
	The DWP does not require applicants to state if they have previously held an elected position as a member of any political party.
	Therefore the information requested is not available form departmental records.

Consultants

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 650W, what payments were made to (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers and (b) CAP-Gemini.

Chris Grayling: Due to the length of time since the management consultants were engaged and payments were made, it would be disproportionately expensive to research and recover the information requested.

Crisis Loans: Leicester

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many crisis loans were provided to people living in (a) Leicester South constituency and (b) Leicester in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: The Leicester South parliamentary constituency and Leicester are both covered by the south east midlands social fund budget area. The following table provides the figures on the number of social fund crisis loan applications and awards for the last five years:
	
		
			 C risis loan applications and awards for the south east midlands social fund budget area, 2007-08 to 2011-12 
			 Accounting year Applications  (number) Awards  (number) Success rate (%) 
			 2007-08 61,240 36,450 59.5 
			 2008-09 77,210 49,680 64.3 
			 2009-10 103,690 77,830 75.1 
			 2010-11 109,020 84,610 77.6 
			 2011-12 85,920 67,340 78.4 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using official/national statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as official/national statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, these amounts do not include expenditure on applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the social fund computer system. 2. Data on budgeting loans and crisis loans is not held by parliamentary constituency but by Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area. The social fund budget area information provided will also cover other parliamentary constituencies. 3. All of the figures relate to applications and awards, not people. Individuals can apply for and receive more than one social fund loan in any given year. 4. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Employment and Support Allowance

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many errors in the award or refusal of employment support allowance have been identified in the last 12 months in (a) England, (b) Cheshire, (c) Merseyside and (d) Halton district.

Chris Grayling: I confirm that the information requested is currently unavailable. The Department has implemented a programme to measure the levels of official error in ESA; publication of the first report is anticipated for May 2013. This will provide information regarding the monetary value of over and underpayment at the national level and not constituency/local level.

Employment and Support Allowance

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of appeals against refusals of employment and support allowance were upheld in Halton district in the 2011-12 financial year.

Chris Grayling: The following table shows the number and proportion of appeals against fit for work decisions made by new employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants in Halton local authority (LA). Note that these figures refer to claimants who started their claim between February 2010 and February 2011 as the period requested is not available. The figures presented refer to appeal outcomes for the latest available full year.
	
		
			 ESA appeal outcomes in Halton, claims starting February 2010 to February 2011 
			  Appeal outcomes against fit for work decisions in Halton LA 
			  Appeal successful Decision upheld 
			 Number of cases 90 220 
			 Proportion (%) 30 70 
			 Notes: 1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 cases or percentage point. 2. This information is taken from administrative data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, assessment data provided by Atos Healthcare and appeals data provided by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service. 3. The figures in the above tables represent people that have made a claim for ESA and do not include those moving to ESA as part of the incapacity benefits reassessment programme.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to allow volunteers on the Work programme to choose to which provider they are referred.

Chris Grayling: Individuals are randomly allocated to work providers to ensure that each provider has an equal share of participants, and provide a firm basis for drawing relative performance judgments. For this reason, it is not possible for claimants to choose their Work programme provider.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Jobcentre Plus staff have flexibility in determining which Work programme prime contractor a claimant is referred to; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The claimant is randomly allocated to Work programme prime contractors by the Labour Market System and not by Jobcentre Plus advisers.

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place to ensure lone parents with children aged under 13 are not required to attend Work programme appointments outside of school hours.

Chris Grayling: When a lone parent with a child under 13 is referred to the Work programme Jobcentre Plus will notify the provider of any restrictions on the hours they can attend appointments.

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any lone parents on the Work programme have been sanctioned for refusing appointments or training at unsuitable times.

Chris Grayling: Information on sanction decisions by client group is not available.

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents in Bristol have joined the Work programme since June 2010; and what proportion of these have found employment.

Chris Grayling: Official statistics on referrals and attachments to the Work programme were released on 9 May and are available at the following website:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	The Department aims to publish official statistics on Work programme job outcomes in autumn 2012 and it is intended that these figures will include a local authority and lone parent status breakdown.

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which specialist subcontractors have provided services to lone parents on the Work programme in Bristol to date.

Chris Grayling: The data collected about Work programme supply chains do not enable an analysis of referrals to specialist subcontractors delivering support to lone parents. The Department has no plans to collect these data.
	The most recent official statistics on referrals and attachments to the Work programme were released on 21 February 2012 and are available on the Department's website:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wp

Employment Schemes: Veterans

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to support former service personnel disabled as a result of their service.

Maria Miller: Through the Armed Forces Covenant, the Government has pledged that those who serve in the armed forces should face no disadvantage in the provision of public services. DWP is fully committed to upholding the Covenant and supporting service personnel, their families and veterans.
	Serving and ex-serving personnel disabled as a result of service have access to a range of welfare benefits and support services, including benefits which reflect the additional costs arising from disability.
	Veterans injured as a result of their service face particular problems. We are looking at whether we can simplify and streamline the support system for the most severely injured veterans.
	Injured service personnel may also be eligible for a guaranteed income payment or a compensation payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, or a War Pension, which are administered by the Ministry of Defence.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many businesses in (a) Dartford constituency, (b) Kent, (c) the South East and (d) England have entered the Youth Contract programme; and how many people in each area have found employment through the programme.

Chris Grayling: The specific information requested is not available.
	Employers engage with us in a variety of ways and we are maximising every contact to promote the Youth Contract to ensure that we can provide close to half a million new opportunities for young people.

Pensioners: Income

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average gross income of pensioners was in each of the last 30 years; and what proportion comprised (a) benefits, (b) occupational pension, (c) returns on investments, (d) earnings and (e) other income in each year.

Steve Webb: The following table provides the average gross equivalised income of pensioners, including what proportion comprised (a) benefits, (b) occupational pension, (c) returns on investments, (d) earnings and (e) other income, in 2009-10 prices, for all available years. Analysis is for pensioner benefit units, defined as either single pensioners or pensioner couples. This analysis does not include incomes from others in a household.
	
		
			    Proportion (percentage) of gross income made up by income from: 
			 Source Year Mean gross income (£ per week, 2009-10 prices) Benefits Occupational pensions Investments Earnings Other income (including personal pensions) 
			 FES(1) 1979 171 61 16 11 12 1 
			  1981 183 61 16 13 9 — 
		
	
	
		
			  1987 228 54 22 18 6 1 
			  1988 237 51 23 17 8 — 
			  1989 231 52 22 18 8 — 
			  1990-91 247 50 22 20 7 1 
			  1992 258 50 24 20 6 1 
			  1993 256 53 25 16 6 — 
			         
			 FRS(2) 1994-95 283 48 25 12 13 2 
			  1995-96 278 50 25 11 12 2 
			  1996-97 296 48 26 11 14 2 
			  1997-98 301 47 26 11 14 2 
			  1998-99 314 46 26 12 14 2 
			  1999-2000 320 47 25 11 14 3 
			  2000-01 340 45 26 11 14 3 
			  2001-02 353 46 26 10 15 3 
			  2002-03 354 47 26 8 16 4 
			  2003-04 372 45 26 9 17 4 
			  2004-05 385 45 26 9 16 4 
			  2005-06 390 45 25 9 16 4 
			  2006-07 393 44 25 10 17 4 
			  2007-08 402 42 24 11 18 4 
			  2008-09 408 43 24 9 19 4 
			  2009-10 442 42 25 8 20 5 
			 (1) Family Expenditure Survey. (2) Family Resources Survey. Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Pensioners' Income Series (PI) data sourced from the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) and the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2. The reference period for FRS-based PI figures is the financial year. FRS-based estimates are not available before 1994-95. FES-based PI data is based on calendar years. Data are presented for available years. The years presented correspond to publications that have correct data and where we have spent the time in ensuring income definitions, etc. are consistent. 3. Older data are sourced from the FES. The two surveys have different response rates and response profiles, and there are some definitional differences in the data that are collected. Because of these differences, direct comparisons between results from the FES and FRS should not normally be made. 4. Gross incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. 5. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 6. Weekly incomes have been rounded to the nearest pound. Proportions of gross income have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. 7. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 8. FES-sourced figures are for the United Kingdom and FRS-sourced figures are for Great Britain up to 2001-02 and for the United Kingdom from 2002-03. 9. It was announced in May that the 2009-10 results will be revised when the 2010-11 results come out. See the DWP PI website for further information. Source: Pensioners' Incomes Series 2009-10

Pensioners: Income

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the real terms growth was in weekly median net income of pensioner units in each quintile of the net income distribution for (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples in each of the last 30 years.

Steve Webb: The following tables provide the weekly median net income of pensioner units in each quintile of the income distribution, for both (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples, on both a Before Housing Costs (BHC) and After Housing Costs (AHC) basis, for all available periods in 2009-10 prices. Analysis is for pensioner benefit units, defined as either single pensioners or pensioner couples. This analysis does not include incomes from others in a household.
	Please note that because quintile figures are presented as three-year averages, a percentage change between each year is not available. Due to even smaller sample sizes on the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) it is not possible to provide information on quintiles of the income distribution from the FES. Therefore it is only possible to present data back to 1994-95, the period covered by the Family Resources Survey.
	
		
			 (a) Table 1: Before Housing Costs (BHC) median net income of pensioner units in each quintile of the BHC income distribution for single pensioners for available periods, 2009-10 prices 
			 £ per week 
			  Quintiles of the income distribution (£) 
			 Period Bottom quintile Second quintile Middle quintile Fourth quintile Fifth quintile 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 91 122 146 178 264 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 92 125 150 185 272 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 92 127 153 191 281 
			 1997-98 to 1999-00 94 130 157 197 292 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 97 135 162 204 301 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 102 140 170 212 310 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 106 146 177 219 316 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 110 150 183 225 322 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 113 154 188 231 331 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 115 158 193 238 342 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 114 160 197 243 349 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 112 160 199 245 352 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 113 162 201 250 355 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 118 167 208 259 367 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Table 2: Before Housing Costs (BHC) median net income of pensioner units in each quintile of the BHC income distribution for pensioner couples for available periods, 2009-10 prices 
			 £ per week 
			  Quintiles of the income distribution (£) 
			 Period Bottom quintile Second quintile Middle quintile Fourth quintile Fifth quintile 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 163 214 270 358 580 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 164 218 276 365 597 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 166 223 284 377 614 
			 1997-98 to 1999-00 167 227 289 383 621 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 172 234 297 394 629 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 179 242 306 403 640 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 185 250 315 412 656 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 190 257 323 420 666 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 194 264 333 432 683 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 199 272 343 445 695 
			 ^004-05 to 2006-07 199 276 351 457 716 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 199 279 358 465 735 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 198 282 365 479 758 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 205 293 376 495 776 
		
	
	
		
			 (a) Table 3: After Housing Costs (AHC) median net income of pensioner units in each quintile of the AHC income distribution for single pensioners for available periods, 2009-10 prices 
			 £ per week 
			  Quintiles of the income distribution (£) 
			 Period Bottom quintile Second quintile Middle quintile Fourth quintile Fifth quintile 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 66 86 100 143 230 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 68 88 104 150 237 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 70 89 109 158 246 
			 1997-98 to 1999-00 72 92 115 165 258 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 76 96 123 172 268 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 80 104 131 181 278 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 85 111 138 189 283 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 89 118 144 194 291 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 93 124 151 202 303 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 94 129 159 211 319 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 95 132 164 219 327 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 93 133 167 224 336 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 93 134 170 228 338 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 95 137 175 235 348 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Table 4: After Housing Costs (AHC) median net income of pensioner units in each quintile of the AHC income distribution for pensioner couples for available periods, 2009-10 prices 
			 £ per week 
			  Quintiles of the income distribution (£) 
			 Period Bottom quintile Second quintile Middle quintile Fourth quintile Fifth quintile 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 132 177 234 325 534 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 133 181 240 333 552 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 134 188 250 346 571 
		
	
	
		
			 1997-98 to 1999-00 137 193 257 353 579 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 143 202 268 366 593 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 152 211 277 376 607 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 159 219 287 388 626 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 166 228 296 398 639 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 173 239 309 413 660 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 180 250 322 431 679 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 182 255 333 446 707 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 182 260 343 458 730 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 181 265 351 472 751 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 185 274 360 485 762 
			 Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Pensioners' Income Series (PI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2. Net disposable incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax payments, national insurance contributions, council tax/domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from incomes. Figures have been presented on a Before Housing Cost and an After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Costs, housing costs are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Costs they are. 3. Estimates show medians of unequivalised net income for each quintile of the unequivalised net income distribution. 4. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 5. The reference period for FRS-based PI figures is the financial year. Three survey years have been combined because single year estimates are not considered to be sufficiently reliable. Data are presented for available periods. 6. Weekly incomes have been rounded to the nearest £. 7. Figures are for Great Britain up to 2001-02 and for the United Kingdom from 2002-03. 8. Please note that because figures are presented as three-year averages, a percentage change between each year is not available. 9. It was announced in May that the 2009-10 results will be revised when the 2010-11 results come out. See the DWP PI website for further information. Source: Pensioners' Incomes Series 2009-10

Pensioners: Income

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of pensioners were in receipt of occupational pension income in each of the last 30 years;
	(2)  what the (a) mean and (b) median amount of occupational pension income was received by those with entitlement in today's prices in each of the last 30 years.

Steve Webb: As these two questions are related, the following table provides the answer to both questions for available years. Analysis is for pensioner benefit units, defined as either single pensioners or pensioner couples. This analysis does not include incomes from others in a household.
	The following table provides the proportion of pensioners in receipt of occupational pension income in each of the last 30 years, and the (a) mean and (b) median amount of occupational pension income received, in 2009-10 prices, for all available years.
	
		
			    Amount (£ per week, 2009-10 prices) 
			   Proportion of pensioners in receipt of occupational pension (percentage) Mean Median 
			 FES(1) 1979 40 68 33 
			  1981 43 69 34 
			  1987 51 97 50 
			  1988 50 110 53 
			  1989 53 96 51 
			  1990-91 54 101 51 
			  1992 56 110 58 
			  1993 57 111 58 
			      
			 FRS(2) 1994-95 57 124 68 
			  1995-96 58 123 66 
			  1996-97 59 127 72 
			  1997-98 59 131 77 
			  1998-99 59 137 76 
			  1999-2000 59 139 80 
			  2000-01 59 149 86 
			  2001-02 59 152 91 
		
	
	
		
			  2002-03 59 152 92 
			  2003-04 60 161 96 
			  2004-05 60 167 104 
			  2005-06 59 163 99 
			  2006-07 59 168 106 
			  2007-08 59 165 103 
			  2008-09 59 169 104 
			  2009-10 61 184 116 
			 (1) Source—Family Expenditure Survey (2) Source—Family Resources Survey Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Pensioners' Income Series (PI) data sourced from the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) and the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by, sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for FRS-based PI figures is the financial year. FRS-based estimates are not available before 1994-95. FES-based PI data is based on calendar years. Data is presented for available years. The years presented correspond to publications that have correct data and where we have spent the time in ensuring income definitions, etc, are consistent. 4. Proportions of pensioners have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. Weekly occupational pension incomes have been rounded to the nearest £. 5. Older data is sourced from the FES. The two surveys have different response rates and response profiles, and there are some definitional differences in the data that are collected. Because of these differences, direct comparisons between results from the FES and FRS should not normally be made. 6. FES-sourced figures are for the United Kingdom and FRS-sourced figures are for Great Britain up to 2001 -02 and for the United Kingdom from 2002-03. 7. It was announced in May that the 2009-10 results will be revised when the 2010-11 results come out. See the DWP PI website for further information. Source: Pensioners' Incomes Series 2009-10

Pensioners: Means-tested Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner benefit units were receiving, or entitled to but not receiving, means-tested benefits in each of the last 30 years.

Steve Webb: The following tables show how many pensioner benefit units were receiving, or entitled to but not receiving, the following means-tested benefits:
	income support (1990 to 1998-99);
	minimum income guarantee (1999-2000 to 2003-04);
	pension credit (2003-04 to 2009-10);
	housing benefit (1990 to 2009-10); and
	council tax benefit (1993-94 to 2009-10).
	Due to the uncertainty around take-up, a range is provided for the number of pensioner benefit units that are entitled non-recipients.
	Consistent information for pensioner benefit units before 1990 is not available.
	
		
			 Income support for pensioners 
			 Thousand 
			  Recipients Entitled non-recipients range 
			 1990 1,550 530:890 
			 1991 1,430 410:700 
			 1992 1,570 480:860 
			 1993-94 1,540 580:840 
			 1994-95 1,580 810:1,100 
			 1995-96 1,580 800:1,070 
			 1996-97 1,510 500:760 
			 1997-98 1,470 330:730 
			 1998-99 1,410 330:670 
		
	
	
		
			 Minimum income guarantee 
			 Thousand 
			  Recipients Entitled non-recipients range 
			 1999-2000 1,390 390:770 
			 2000-01 1,430 450:670 
			 2001-02 1,520 600:870 
			 2002-03 1,600 570:960 
			 2003-04 1,670 580:1,020 
		
	
	
		
			 Pension credit 
			 Thousand 
			  Recipients Entitled non-recipients range 
			 2003-04 2,490 1,260:1,840 
			 2004-05 2,570 1,140:1,630 
			 2005-06 2,600 1,170:1,740 
			 2006-07 2,620 1,180:1,730 
			 2007-08 2,630 1,110:1,710 
			 2008-09 2,610 910:1,520 
			 2009-10 2,620 1,210:1,580 
		
	
	
		
			 Housing benefit for pensioners 
			 Thousand 
			  Recipients Entitled non-recipients range 
			 1990 2,220 250:350 
			 1991 2,050 100:290 
			 1992 1,960 260:340 
			 1993-94 2,000 160:300 
			 1994-95 1,960 180:320 
			 1995-96 1,940 230:320 
			 1996-97 1,900 20:250 
			 1997-98 1,830 80:260 
			 1998-99 1,820 80:220 
			 1999-2000 1,740 120:300 
			 2000-01 1,660 110:270 
			 2001-02 1,640 180:340 
			 2002-03 1,620 180:320 
			 2003-04 1,600 210:360 
		
	
	
		
			 2004-05 1,610 230:380 
			 2005-06 1,620 200:310 
			 2006-07 1,590 200:350 
			 2007-08 1,560 210:380 
			 2008-09 1,510 240:410 
			 2009-10 1,480 240:390 
		
	
	
		
			 Council tax benefit for pensioners 
			 Thousand 
			  Recipients Entitled non-recipients range 
			 1993-94 2,840 890:1,420 
			 1994-95 2,780 1,110:1,660 
			 1995-96 2,770 950:1,420 
			 1996-97 2,680 690:1,240 
			 1997-98 2,600 900:1,170 
			 1998-99 2,580 920:1,220 
			 1999-2000 2,480 1,040:1,390 
			 2000-01 2,360 1,100:1,430 
			 2001-02 2,370 1,410:1,760 
			 2002-03 2,350 1,460:1,820 
			 2003-04 2,380 1,670:2,070 
			 2004-05 2,490 1,820:2,230 
			 2005-06 2,580 1,710:2,150 
			 2006-07 2,610 1,680:2,140 
			 2007-08 2,610 1,780:2,310 
			 2008-09 2,520 1,530:2,020 
			 2009-10 2,590 1,690:2,230 
			 Notes: 1. Since 1990 there have been numerous changes to the methodology of calculating take-up. As a result, figures for entitled non-recipients are not based on a consistent methodology over time. 2. The number of entitled non-recipients is often revised a year after initial publication. The figures quoted in the tables above use the last published figures. 3. Data from 1990 to 1992 are based on the Family Expenditure Survey (FES). Data from 1993-94 are based on the Family Resource Survey (FRS). Both data sources may not be consistent with published administrative data. 4. Income support was paid from 11 April 1988; minimum income guarantee was paid from 12 April 1999; pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003. 5. Pension credit figures include the guaranteed element and savings credit. Source: DWP—Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/income_analysis/index.php?page=publications

Pensioners: Personal Savings

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the effective marginal tax rates were on pension savings of pensioners (a) on income support, (b) on housing benefit and council tax benefit, but not income support, (c) on council tax benefit, but not housing benefit or income support, (d) not paying tax and not on benefits and (e) paying tax and not on benefits by marginal rate of income tax in each of the last 30 years.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.

Personal Independence Payment: Visual Impairment

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of visually-impaired people resident in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency; and what proportion of these will be eligible for the personal independence payment.

Maria Miller: There are 130 people claiming disability living allowance in Kilmarnock and Loudoun with “blindness” as their main disabling condition. Ninety of these claimants are aged between 16 and 64 and therefore would be in scope to be reassessed for personal independence payment.
	Through the introduction of PIP we expect the number of 16 to 64-year-olds to be claiming the benefit by 2015-16 to be 1.7 million. Without reform we would expect 2.2 million 16 to 64-year-olds to be claiming disability living allowance at that time. However, it is not possible to break this impact down to smaller geographies or specific conditions.
	The personal independence payment is being designed to ensure that those who face the greatest barriers to living an independent life will be in receipt of the right level of support that recognises the individual's needs. Therefore entitlement to the personal independence payment will be based on the extent to which an individual's health condition or impairment affects their day-to-day life, not on the nature of the health condition itself.
	We have already made substantial changes to the proposed assessment as a direct result of comments raised by visual impairment organisations such as RNIB—for example, on how we assess communication needs.
	But the assessment has not yet been finalised and we continue to work with these organisations to discuss how it can be further improved. If we need to make more changes to ensure the assessment fairly reflects the needs of blind and partially sighted people, we will do so.

Post Office Card Account

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Post Office card accounts receive payments in respect of benefits which will be integrated into universal credit from October 2013.

Chris Grayling: There are currently around 750,000 working age claimants receiving DWP benefits into a Post Office card account.

Post Office Card Account

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he proposes that universal credit will be paid into post office card accounts (POCAs) from October 2013; what estimate he has made of the number of POCAs which will be receiving universal credit payments by April 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: No decision has yet been made about whether claimants will be able to choose to have universal credit paid into post office card accounts and no estimate has been made of the number of claimants who might make that choice.

Post Office Card Account

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to migrate current users of post office card accounts to mainstream bank accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The post office card account contract let by DWP in October 2009 included commercial incentives for Post Office Ltd (POL) to migrate 700,000 users of post office card accounts to mainstream bank accounts, including those that may be offered by the post office in the future. The contract expires in March 2015, with an option to extend for two years.

Social Fund: Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding he plans to allocate to the Scottish Government for the aspects of the social fund which will be devolved; according to what criteria this sum will be calculated; when the sum will be calculated in each year; and when the payment will be made in each year.

Steve Webb: For the current spending review period the Department for Work and Pensions has been allocated £178 million per annum for the discretionary social fund for Great Britain. This funding will form the programme funding for the new local services that will be in place from April 2013. It will be apportioned nationally between Scotland, England and Wales. Scotland's share will be approximately £25 million.
	The Department is basing its allocations on the equivalent social fund spend for 2012-13. Spend on the crisis loan element of the discretionary social fund is being managed down to 2005-06 levels, and on the current profile we will reduce expenditure to this level by end 2012-13.
	The Department is currently undertaking the financial modelling to finalise the amounts to be allocated to the devolved Administrations (as well as for each upper tier English local authority) and the indicative amount will be outlined in a settlement letter which is due to be sent out in June. The amount to be transferred will be fixed for the next two years of the comprehensive spending review.
	Discussions are still ongoing with HMT to finalise the precise payment arrangements and dates.

Social Security Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the weekly rate of the (a) minimum income guarantee and (b) basic state retirement pension was in each of the last 30 years.

Steve Webb: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			 Weekly rate (£) 
			  Supplementary benefit/MIG/pension credit Basic state pension 
			  Single person Couple Single person Couple (1) 
			 November 1983 34.10 54.55 34.05 54.50 
			 November 1984 35.70 57.10 35.80 57.30 
			 November 1985 37.50 60.00 38.30 61.30 
			 July 1986 37.90 60.65 38.70 61.95 
			 April 1987 38.65 61.85 39.50 63.25 
			 April 1988 44.05 67.70 41.15 65.90 
			 April 1989 46.10 71.85 43.60 69.80 
			 April 1990 48.50 75.55 46.90 75.10 
			 April 1991 53.40 83.15 52.00 83.25 
			 April 1992 57.15 88.95 54.15 86.70 
			 April 1993 61.30 95.25 56.10 89.80 
			 April 1994 63.95 99.25 57.60 92.10 
			 April 1995 65.10 101.05 58.85 94.10 
			 April 1996 67.05 104.10 61.15 97.75 
			 April 1997 68.80 106.80 62.45 99.80 
			 April 1998 70.45 109.35 64.70 103.40 
			 April 1999 75.00 116.60 66.75 106.70 
			 April 2000 78.45 121.95 67.50 107.90 
			 April 2001 92.15 140.55 72.50 115.90 
			 April 2002 98.15 149.80 75.50 120.70 
			 April 2003 102.10 155.80 77.45 123.80 
			 April 2004 105.45 160.95 79.60 127.25 
			 April 2005 109.45 167.05 82.05 131.20 
			 April 2006 114.05 174.05 84.25 134.75 
			 April 2007 119.05 181.70 87.30 139.60 
			 April 2008 124.05 189.35 90.70 145.05 
			 April 2009 130.00 198.45 95.25 152.30 
			 April 2010 132.60 202.40 97.65 156.15 
			 April 2011 137.35 209.70 102.15 163.35 
			 April 2012 142.70 217.90 107.45 171.95 
			 (1) This includes the extra payment a married couple would receive if the wife's pension were based on her husband's contributions. (The married couple will receive twice the pension of a single person, if both individuals were entitled to full pensions). Note: Supplementary benefit was first paid on 28 November 1966. Income support was paid from 11 April 1988; minimum income guarantee was paid from 12 April 1999; pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003.

Social Security Benefits: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions his Department has had with Atos about the effect of myalgic encephalomyelitis on a person's capacity to work.

Chris Grayling: The most recent interaction between the Department and Atos Healthcare regarding CFS/ME was in March 2012. The Department provided comments to Atos on a distance learning module (learning set) on fatigue that has been developed as part of the Atos Continuing Medical Education Programme for health care professionals for 2011-12.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of residents of Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who will become ineligible for disability-related welfare benefits as a result of his plans for welfare reform.

Maria Miller: It is not possible to break this impact down to smaller geographic locations.
	The impact assessment published in January estimates the number of 16 to 64-year-olds in receipt of the personal independence payment to be 1.7 million by March 2016. Without reform 2.2 million 16 to 64-year-olds were forecast to be receiving disability living allowance at that time.

Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) lone parents with children under five and (b) claimants of (i) incapacity benefit, (ii) income support due to illness or disability, (iii) employment and support allowance and (iv) other incapacity-related out of work benefits have been sent a letter warning them that they may be affected by the benefit cap, and suggesting work as a way to prevent the cap applying to them.

Chris Grayling: The statistics required to answer this question have not already been published by the Department. The Department only publishes statistics in line with the guidelines for publishing ad hoc or official statistics. We will consider the right hon. Gentleman’s request for these unpublished statistics as part of statistics released and published by the Department in due course.

St Mungo’s: Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for which the St Mungo’s homelessness charity received no referrals from the three Work programme prime providers with which it had contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: There are a number of factors which could affect the flow of business from prime providers to specialist organisations, such as St Mungo’s, including:
	the difference in provider delivery models, and the relative use of tiered supply chains;
	whether voluntary and community sector partners are at tier 1 or 2 for particular primes;
	relatively low rates of "disclosure" of homeless status by claimants which may delay or prevent onward referral to specialist partners; and
	during the early stage of the Work Programme homeless participants may be supported through the provider's “mainstream” offer before being referred to specialist partners for specific interventions.
	In a programme for which the Department has given no guarantees of volumes, it is entirely rational for primes to do the same. Specific reasons for the lack of referrals is a commercial matter between those prime providers and St Mungo’s.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what alternative methods of payment for universal credit he is considering for benefit claimants who do not have access to a mainstream bank account.

Chris Grayling: We recognise that some claimants do not currently have access to a mainstream bank account. We are working with a range of banking and financial product providers to make financial services more accessible and supportive to low income households. We are exploring options for accounts or alternative financial products which can support budgeting more effectively. We are continuing to work closely with high street banks through the British Bankers' Association (BBA) to explore these options, while also working with credit unions and providers of alternative financial products such as prepaid cards.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's evaluation of the Spring 2011 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Medical Assessment Centre pilot of claimant audio recording for the work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: The report is available from the Department's website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-recording-pilot-report.pdf
	I will also place a copy of the report in the Library.

Work Capability Assessment

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency claiming employment and support allowance who are placed in the (a) support group, (b) work-related activity group and (c) fit-for-work group.

Chris Grayling: Constituency level data are not available.
	On 20 April 2012 the Department published data on the outcomes of IB reassessment claims at the regional and local authority level at the following link:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=adhoc _analysis

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether he has the power to require the Tribunal Service to publish statistical information on the outcome of appeals to work capability assessment decisions within and between tribunals;
	(2)  if he will ask the Tribunal Service to publish statistical information on the outcome of appeals to work capability assessment decisions by tribunal.

Chris Grayling: Appeals are lodged against decisions made by DWP decision makers on behalf of the Secretary of State. The work capability assessment is one part of the evidence used to inform these decisions. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions does not have the power to require Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to publish this statistical information. HMCTS falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice is looking into what data can be produced at individual level and will consider this proposal as part of that work.
	The Ministry of Justice publishes details nationally of the outcome of hearing by benefit type in Quarterly and Annual Tribunal Statistics reports:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/tribunals
	The Ministry of Justice is considering whether this information can be made available at a local level.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people started an apprenticeship in (a) England, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) the Harrogate district in the last 12 months.

John Hayes: The following table shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts aged under 19 in (i) Harrogate and Knaresborough, Selby and Ainsty, and Skipton and Ripon parliamentary constituencies which comprise Harrogate district, (ii) North Yorkshire local authority and (iii) England for academic year 2010/11, the latest full year for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Apprenticeship programme starts by learners aged under 19 by geography, 2010/11 
			  2010/11 full year 
			 Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency 1,350 
			 Selby and Ainsty constituency 200 
			 Skipton and Ripon constituency 260 
			 Harrogate district 1,810 
			 North Yorkshire local authority 2,460 
			 England total 131,700 
			 Notes 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 except for the England total which is rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the programme. These figures include a small number of under 16-year-olds. 3. Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. The England total includes some postcodes which are not known. Geographic information is based on boundaries of regions as of May 2010. 4. Harrogate district is comprised of Harrogate and Knaresborough, Selby and Ainsty, and Skipton and Ripon parliamentary constituencies. Figures for Harrogate district are based on the sum of unrounded data for these parliamentary constituencies. Figures may not sum to the total due to rounding. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by age is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 29 March 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprentices

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships his Department supported in each occupation in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hayes: Figures are not available on the number of apprenticeships broken down by occupation.
	Information is collected on the sector subject area of each apprenticeship. The numbers of apprenticeship starts by sector subject area during the 2010/11 academic year are given in Table 1 as follows:
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by sector subject area, 2010/11, England 
			 Sector subject area Number 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 7,380 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing 1,030 
			 Business, Administration and Law 133,820 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 28,090 
			 Education and Training 4,070 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 48,970 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 89,970 
			 Information and Communication Technology 19,520 
			 Languages, Literature and Culture (1)— 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 21,590 
			 Preparation for Life and Work (1)— 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 102,770 
			 Science and Mathematics 10 
			 Unknown — 
			 Total 457,200 
			 (1) Indicates a base value of less than 5. Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10 except for the total which is rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of starts at any point during the year. Learners starting more than one framework will appear more than once. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Figures are also collected on the sector framework of each apprenticeship. These are published in the supplementary tables of the Post-16 Education Statistical First Release (SFR) at the following link:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/
	In 2010/11, the average length of an apprenticeship programme was 13 months. This does not necessarily reflect the guided learning hours or the actual length of time in learning. For these reasons the average length should be seen as contributory information to any broader assessment of the apprenticeship experience and quality.
	Further information on apprenticeships is published in the Post-16 Education quarterly SFR. The latest SFR was published on 29 March 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Business: Finance

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote access to finance from non-bank sources for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mark Prisk: It is important that businesses have access to a diverse range of finance sources, other than bank lending, including both equity investment and debt finance.
	The Government have undertaken a range of measures to promote a range of non-traditional finance:
	To support equity investment in firms, Government have increased their commitment to the Enterprise Capital Funds programme by £200 million over the four years to 2014-15, providing for more than £300 million of venture capital investment.
	Notion Capital—is the eleventh, and largest, Enterprise Capital Fund and £62.9 million has already been committed to it from the first funding round. This includes substantial commitments from private investors, the Government and the European Investment Fund (EIF). The Notion Capital fund will target emerging, high-growth cloud computing and software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies.
	Government have encouraged a better environment for business angel investment through the establishment of the new £50 million Business Angel Co-Investment Fund, which aims to support angel investments into high growth potential early stage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
	The CoFund recently announced the completion of its first five investments, with a total of £7.2 million committed to SMEs since launching in November 2011. The investments in each business range from £360,000 to £3.6 million and reflect the wide range of businesses that the Angel CoFund can support across stage, sector and location, with £1.4 million of funding from the Government helping to secure a further £5.8 million from other investors.
	Government have reformed the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs), increasing rate of income tax relief for EIS to 30% and increasing amounts that can be invested in qualifying companies and the size of qualifying companies (subject to state-aid clearance). The new Seed EIS (SEIS) scheme provides income tax relief of 50% for individuals who invest in shares in qualifying seed companies, with an annual investment limit for individuals of £100,000 and cumulative investment limit for companies of £150,000.
	The range of accredited Enterprise Finance Guarantee lenders has been expanded, with new non-bank lenders able to provide finance under the scheme.
	To support firms' access to finance the Government £1.2 billion Business Finance Partnership will be deployed to stimulate markets in alternative forms of finance.
	As part of the Government's “Business in You” campaign, the Government's Business Link website provides advice and guidance for businesses on the range of finance options available and how to apply. This can be found at:
	www.improve.businesslink.gov.uk/resources/business-support-finder
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) also tasked an industry working group, led by Tim Breedon of the Association of British Insurers, to undertake a review into how to expand access to non-bank lending. This group reported at Budget 2012 with a series of recommendations for industry and Government. Government broadly welcomed the recommendations and will report back on progress made against them in due course.

Care Homes

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made since the collapse of Southern Cross in 2011 of the business models of companies providing care and nursing home services; and which companies have been assessed.

Norman Lamb: In social care, a market has been operating successfully for many years. However, Southern Cross highlighted the risks involved should a large, national provider of care and support services fall into financial distress and exit the market. The Government believes that this is a serious issue and has been taking forward work analysing the area.
	Responsibility for the regulation and oversight of the residential care sector rests with the Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley). The Department of Health has been leading the work on oversight of the social care market, including publishing a discussion paper, ‘Oversight of the Social Care Market—Discussion Paper' in October 2011. As part of their work, Department of Health officials have been engaging with the sector, including its major providers, to better understand the potential risks to service delivery. Officials in BIS have been providing professional advice to the Department of Health to assist them in this work.
	The Government intends to outline its direction of travel in the forthcoming care and support White Paper, scheduled to be published in the summer.

Citizens Advice

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether Citizens Advice will be required to become a non-departmental public body in order to take on statutory responsibilities and resources from the Office of Fair Trading and Consumer Focus; and what assessment he has made of the potential effects of such changes on its current functions.

Norman Lamb: Consumers need to know who to go to when they have a problem which is why the Government are simplifying the landscape of consumer bodies. Full details of these proposals were set out in the Government response to the consultation “Empowering and protecting consumers” published on 11 April.
	Citizens Advice will not be required to become a non-departmental public body in order to receive statutory responsibilities and resources from the Office of Fair Trading or Consumer Focus.

Citizens Advice Bureaux

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Citizens Advice Bureau offices have closed in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and how many he estimates will close in 2012-13.

Norman Lamb: There is a difference between bureaux offices and legal entities. A legal entity may cover a number of different offices or branches and some of those may have closed as a result of funding reductions. Citizens Advice, the umbrella body for the service in England and Wales, do not have accurate information of those numbers, as often when a bureau closes a site it will usually replace it with some form of alternative service delivered by way of an outreach through the premises of another organisation in the community.
	In 2010-11 a total of four legal entities closed (Cardiff, Melton, Northerly and West Lanes). In 2011-12, a total of two legal entities closed (City of London and Wyre District). In each area advice is continuing to be delivered through the provision of an alternative service.
	Citizens Advice are unable to supply figures for anticipated closures in 2012-13 but are aware of bureaux at risk and continue to work with them to see how best services can continue to be delivered in those areas.

Citizens Advice Bureaux

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which local authorities reduced funding for citizens advice bureaux (CAB) services in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; by how much funding was reduced in each such case; which local authorities plan to reduce CAB funding and by how much in 2012-13; and whether there are any local authorities that no longer provide any funding for CAB services.

Norman Lamb: We have validated figures from Citizens Advice on local authority (LA) funding for 315 out of the 355 member bureaux. Of those 315 members, 103 bureaux reported a cut in LA funding averaging around 10% in 2011-12 compared to 2010-11, the remaining bureaux funding would have remained static or in some cases increased.
	For 2012-13, 69 bureaux out of the same 315 members reporting have indicated their funding will reduce by 10% or more.
	A list of those local authorities who have reduced funding has been placed in the Library of the House.

Government Contracts: Political Affiliation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who were previously employed in any capacity by the (a) Conservative party or its elected representatives and (b) Liberal Democrat party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised;
	(2)  which individuals have been paid by his Department for consultancy or other services who previously held an elected position as a member of the (a) Conservative party and (b) Liberal Democrat party since May 2010; what the (i) cost and (ii) nature was of the services provided; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not request this type of information as part of its contract award process and as a consequence the Department does not hold this information.

Consumer Focus: Intellectual Property Office

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the relationship between Consumer Focus and the Intellectual Property Office.

Norman Lamb: The Government has received no representations from third parties on the relationship between Consumer Focus and the Intellectual Property Office. The Intellectual Property Office regularly discusses its relationship with Consumer Focus, as it does with all key stakeholders.

Copyright

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish a response to the copyright consultation.

Norman Lamb: The copyright consultation closed on 21 March, having run for 14 weeks. The Government is now considering all submissions received and intends to publish its response before the summer.

Copyright

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) discussions and (b) meetings officials in his Department have had with officials of the European Commission about the copyright consultation.

Norman Lamb: The Government receives a wide range of views from many sources in relation to copyright, and has regular discussions with the European Commission on a wide range of copyright and other intellectual property policy issues, including the issues discussed in the copyright consultation. The Government has drawn the attention of the European Commission to both the recommendations of the Hargreaves report and the UK Government's consultation.

Copyright

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what organisations he has met to discuss the copyright consultation.

Norman Lamb: Since its publication on 14 December, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), personally has not met any organisations specifically to discuss the copyright consultation.
	My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills, Baroness Wilcox, hosted meetings with a number of key stakeholders across a range of industries during the copyright consultation period. Baroness Wilcox also met with interested parties at stakeholder engagement events she attended in London and Plymouth. The Department's officials have held numerous meetings and exchanges with interested parties throughout the consultation period. The copyright consultation closed on 21 March.

Degrees

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the trends in degree class awarded in the last 10 years, broken down by (a) subject and (b) type of higher education institution.

David Willetts: I have made no such assessment. However, figures on the number of first degree qualifiers from higher education institutions (HEIs) achieving each degree classification, and the percentage achieving this classification, are in the following tables. I understand that the categories requested for part (b) of this particular question are either Russell Group or non-Russell Group institutions. Figures cover the last 10 academic years for which data are available.
	Comparable figures by subject area are not available for 2001/02. In the 2002/03 academic year, both the way in which students were assigned to their subject of study, and the subject classifications changed.
	
		
			 Russell Group and non Russell Group First Degree qualifiers from UK HEIs 2001/02 by degree classification—Numbers and percentages 
			 Number 
			 Institution type First class honours Upper second class honours Lower second class honours Third class honours/Pass Total classified Unclassified 
			 Russell Group 8,945 30,955 12,265 2,285 54,450 5,675 
			 Of which: Oxford and Cambridge 1,860 3,955 725 85 6,620 295 
			 Non-Russell Group 17,510 90,285 74,390 17,335 199,520 14,795 
			 Total 26,455 121,240 86,650 19,620 253,970 20,470 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Institution type First class honours Upper second class honours Lower second class honours Third class honours/Pass Total classified 
			 Russell Group 16.4 56.9 22.5 4.2 100.0 
			 Of which: Oxford and Cambridge 32.9 56.0 10.6 0.5 100.0 
			 Non-Russell Group 8.8 45.3 37.3 8.7 100.0 
			 Total 10.4 47.7 34.1 7.7 100.0 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are based on a qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest five. 2. Percentages are based on unrounded figures. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record.

UK Equity Markets

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration the Kay Review of investors' fiduciary duties has given to the management of environmental, social and governance risks.

Norman Lamb: The Kay Review of UK equity markets and long-term decision making, published its interim report in February 2012. The report noted concerns raised by some respondents both about narrow interpretations of fiduciary duties excluding consideration of long-term factors, and about the application of such duties in the investment chain. The report did not make recommendations.
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), is taking a close interest in Professor Kay's work and looks forward to receiving his final report with recommendations in the summer. It would not be appropriate for the Government to prejudge the review's recommendations at this stage.

Food: Production

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the potential effects on sustainable food production of intervening with universities, colleges and the research councils to direct research into sustainable food production practices.

David Willetts: Sustainable food production is expected to benefit from research and its translation into food production practices. Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board are sponsoring research and development for sustainable food and participating in a cross-Government Global Food Security programme (GFS) which is addressing the issue of sustainable food production practices.
	The complex and inter-related problems of food security can only be tackled through co-ordinated and integrated interdisciplinary research. A main aim of the Global Food Security and other related programmes is to facilitate that research and its translation, and so help to improve the sustainability and security of UK and global food supplies.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for scrutiny of the work of the Groceries Code Adjudicator by Ministers of devolved Administrations.

Norman Lamb: The Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill is a competition issue, and is therefore a non-devolved matter.
	Officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have discussed the Bill with representatives of the devolved Administrations during its drafting and will continue to do so as it is considered by both Houses of Parliament.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had on scrutiny of the proposed Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill by devolved Administrations.

Norman Lamb: The Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill is a competition issue, and is therefore a non-devolved matter. However, BIS officials have discussed the Bill with representatives of the devolved Administrations at several points through its drafting.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) departmental officials have held with counterparts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

Norman Lamb: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), on a number of issues, including the establishment of a Groceries Code Adjudicator. BIS officials have frequently discussed the adjudicator with counterparts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs throughout the planning and drafting process, and will continue to do so as the Bill goes through Parliament.

Higher Education: Barnsley

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people normally resident in Barnsley East constituency entered university in each year since 1990.

David Willetts: Figures on UK higher education institution entrants from Barnsley East constituency from 1995/96 onwards are shown in the following table. Constituency-level statistics are not available for earlier academic years.
	
		
			 Entrants to UK higher education institutions from Barnsley East constituency 1995/96 to 2010/11 
			 Academic year Entrants 
			 1995-96 295 
			 1996-97 345 
			 1997-98 405 
			 1998-99 445 
			 1999-2000 405 
			 2000-01 465 
			 2001-02 495 
			 2002-03 480 
			 2003-04 470 
			 2004-05 495 
			 2005-06 535 
			 2006-07 515 
			 2007-08 520 
			 2008-09 580 
			 2009-10 660 
			 2010-11 735 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are based on a snapshot as at 1 December and have been rounded to the nearest five. 2. Parliamentary constituency is derived from the student's postcode. Data for 2010/11 is based on the revised boundaries in the 2010 general election. 3. Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. 4. Excludes students studying an HE qualification in a further education college. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record

Higher Education: Private Sector

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 518W, on higher education: admissions, what financial controls are in place to limit the amount of public expenditure allocated to private higher education institutions if the Department does not hold an estimate of the average fee level or control the numbers of students who have access to that funding;
	(2)  how he controls the amount added to the student loan book by loans and support offered to students enrolled on courses with private higher education providers if he neither caps the numbers nor monitors the average level of fees;
	(3)  with reference to the answer of 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 518W, on higher education: student numbers, what the total departmental funding allocation is for the provision of student loans and maintenance support for students enrolled on higher education courses with private providers which are not covered by the cap on student places;
	(4)  with reference to the Answer of 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 518W, on higher education: admissions, how his Department budgets for the funding level required to provide student loans and maintenance support for students enrolled with private higher education providers if his Department neither collects data on the average fee level, nor controls the number of students who can access such funding.

David Willetts: The Department closely monitors expenditure on student support, including by private higher education providers, and takes action where necessary to deal with any specific risks of overspending.
	The Government set out in the White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System” and the associated Technical Consultation, their intention that all providers that access student support funding will, in future, be subject to student number controls.
	The Government are giving careful consideration to how this proposal is to be taken forward.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 27 March 2012, Official Report, column 1141W, on higher education: private sector, for what reason non-completion rates are not collected from private and for-profit higher education providers whose courses are designated; and if he will make it his policy to collect such information.

David Willetts: Institutions in receipt of grant funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are required to submit data to the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) as a condition of that funding. These arrangements have been in place since HESA was established in 1993. The condition to submit data to HESA is not placed on institutions not funded by HEFCE.
	We are committed to moving towards a more level playing field for all higher education providers.

Information Officers

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers in his Department, its agencies and public bodies since May 2010.

Norman Lamb: From May 2010, until May 2012 the total travel and subsistence claims by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) press office was £5,730.26.
	This included supporting our large team of Ministers on visits across the country, and around the world to promote British businesses and British higher and further education.
	As is the usual practice in the public and private sector, all departmental staff are entitled to be reimbursed for money they have paid out as a result of their duties. There are strict controls on what sort of expenditure can be claimed for and all claims must be approved by a manager before they are paid.
	I have asked chief executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member. This information is not held by BIS in respect of non-departmental public bodies.
	Letter from Tim Moss, dated 17 May 2012
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 16 May 2012, UIN 108504 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Since May 2010 £816.95 has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by Companies House's press officers: £308.75 in 2010/11 and £508.20 in 2011/12.
	The press officers are also responsible for dealing with Social Media and internal communications work for Companies House. The above amounts also include expenses claimed for work carried out in these roles.
	Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 18 May 2012
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question asking how much has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers in his Department, its agencies and public bodies since May 2010.
	Press officers in The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have made no claims for reimbursement of expenses since May 2010.
	Letter from John Alty, dated 18 May 2012
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 16th May 2012, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office does not employ any press officers directly, with queries going through BIS, as such there were no reimbursement of expenses.
	Letter from Heather Foster, dated 17 May 2012
	I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to your Parliamentary Question 108504 tabled on 16 May 2012 which asked the following:
	To ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers in his Department, its agencies and public bodies since May 2010.
	Since May 2010 there have been no reimbursement expenses claimed by Land Registry employees in their role as Press Officer.
	Letter from John Hirst, dated 18 May 2012
	I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 16 May 2012, UIN 108504 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2012, £2,907 was claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers at the Met Office.
	I hope this helps.
	Letter from Peter Mason, dated 17 May 2012
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 16 May 2012, asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills about the amount of reimbursement expenses claimed by press officers.
	NMO does not have any full-time press officer, but there are two members of staff whose duties include those of a press officer. They claimed reimbursement expenses (i.e. Travel and Subsistence) of £777.38 for the period between May 2010 and April 2012.
	Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 21 May 2012
	Thank you for your question asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers in his Department, its agencies and public bodies since May 2010.
	Please be advised that a total figure of £1,369.25 has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers in the Skills Funding Agency since May 2010.
	Letter from David Williams, dated 18 May 2012
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking how much has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers in his Department, its agencies and public bodies since May 2010.
	The UK Space Agency became an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 1 April 2011 and nothing has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers during the financial year 2011/12.
	Letter from Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, dated 17 May 2012
	As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to contact you in response to your parliamentary question asking the Secretary of State of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much has been claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers in his Department, its agencies and public bodies since May 2010.
	The total amount claimed in reimbursement expenses by press officers at Ordnance Survey since May 2010 is £52.87.

Insolvency Act 1986

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on possible amendments to section 233 of the Insolvency Act 1986.

Norman Lamb: The issue of possible amendments to section 233 of the Insolvency Act 1986 was raised among other matters by representatives of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals (R3) at a recent meeting they held with the chief executive of the Insolvency Service. Apart from this, I have received no recent representations on this subject.

Insolvency Service: Stockton on Tees

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment has been made of the potential effects on (a) travel costs and times for those wishing to use insolvency services and (b) other areas of the proposed closure of the Stockton on Tees Insolvency Service apart from the Insolvency Service report of March 2012.

Norman Lamb: No further assessment has been made other than the data as set out in the consultation document of March 2012 (a copy of which can be found in the Libraries of the House). One of the purposes of the consultation is to elicit information on the potential effects and impact of the closure on stakeholders in the wider community, to enable an informed decision to be taken.

Insolvency: Costs

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on (a) a clearer definition and (b) stricter controls of administration expenses when a business enters administration; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The Government are aware of stakeholders' concerns regarding administration expenses and of the importance of these provisions. We have been engaged with a number of stakeholders on this matter and continue to gather evidence from them on the effect of the issue in order to help us assess whether to make any changes.

Legal Profession: Training

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the cost of extending the availability of student loans and apprenticeship funding to individuals studying to become chartered legal executives; and what assessment he has made of the merits of so doing.

John Hayes: From academic year 2013/14 24+ Advanced Learning Loans will be available to support those aged 24 and over to undertake further education courses at Level 3 and above. The budget available for these loans will be £129 million in 2013-14 and £398 million in 2014-15. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) published an impact assessment in July 2011, which included estimates of the overall numbers of learners that could be supported by loans. A final version of the impact assessment is due to be published in May 2012.
	BIS has not estimated the potential number of learners with 24+ Advanced Learning Loans that will take individual types of course as this will be determined by the choices of individuals. However, the Level 3 Diploma in Law and Practice will be eligible for 24+ Advanced Learning Loan support from 2013/14.
	In order to be designated for the purposes of higher education (HE), courses must, in general, lead to a higher education qualification that is awarded or validated by a body with UK degree awarding powers. Currently, the Level 6 Professional Higher Diploma in Law and Practice does not meet this requirement and is therefore not designated for HE student support.
	There is currently no apprenticeship framework available for those individuals seeking to become chartered legal executives. Sector Skills Councils are the organisations responsible for developing apprenticeships frameworks. In this instance it would be for the Skills for Justice Sector Skills Council to assess the demand and merit surrounding any future development of a framework for legal executives.

Manufacturing Industries: Reading

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many manufacturing firms are located in Reading West constituency.

Mark Prisk: According to analysis by the Interdepartmental Business Register there were 140 manufacturing enterprises in the Reading West constituency as at March 2012.

Mutual Societies: Private Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the terms of reference and work programme are of the Independent Adviser on employee ownership in the private sector; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Graeme Nuttall was appointed to advise on this issue on 26 January 2012.
	The terms Mr Nuttall accepted are to provide advice on how to make it easier for businesses to adopt employee share ownership models; and on other areas of employee share ownership for which I ask advice.
	Since taking up his role in February Mr Nuttall has, with a team of BIS officials to support him, engaged with and collected evidence from employee-owned businesses, legal experts, share plan practitioners, business intermediaries, and others. His working analysis is that a lack of awareness, complexity, and a lack of resources/finance are the main barriers to employee ownership in the private sector.
	Mr Nuttall is currently developing recommendations to Government and any other relevant parties on actions to mitigate those barriers and thus promote employee ownership further. As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister set out in his speech at the Mansion House on 16 January 2012, Government will bring together the findings of this work at a summit held in July, and I have invited Mr Nuttall to make his recommendations by that point.

New Businesses: Manufacturing Industries

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of start-ups by women in the manufacturing industry.

Mark Prisk: We are tackling outdated perceptions of manufacturing, including among women, through our “See Inside Manufacturing” and “Make it in Great Britain” campaigns, to demonstrate how vibrant and rewarding a career in manufacturing can be in the 21st century.
	Late last year, BIS asked the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering to lead jointly a programme to tackle the long-standing issue of diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). They are taking this forward through their existing and excellent relationships with a diverse mix of STEM institutions and businesses to effect a greater emphasis on challenging leadership at all levels to take on responsibility for delivering the change needed to promote equality.
	In order to increase the number of start-ups by women in the manufacturing industry, it is vital that we encourage women to set up businesses and provide the support needed to ensure that those businesses thrive. On 23 January, the Prime Minister launched “Business in You”, a major year-long campaign to:
	Promote awareness of the wide range of advice and support available to all businesses through a variety of sources, both publicly funded and private sector;
	Encourage people to start and grow their own businesses; and
	Inspire people through the showcasing of real-life small firms who are thriving despite the current economic situation.
	The campaign highlights the package of information, advice and support that the Government has put in place for start-ups and for existing firms. This includes:
	Advice and information available at
	www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home
	our online information service for businesses which we have recently updated and improved. For start-ups we have a tailored section called “My New Business” which includes a range of online information, training modules, and practical guides.
	A new national network of experienced business mentors at
	www.mentorsme.co.uk/
	with over 15,000 experienced business people who want to help mentor those starting out.
	Help with raising finance through continuation of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme which has helped thousands of businesses each year to access the funding they need to start and grow their businesses. And support to help businesses to help themselves when trying to access finance, through our “Finance Fitness” campaign.

Overseas Trade: Turkey

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department offers to small and medium-sized enterprises based in Leicester and the East Midlands to export to and establish trade links with Turkey.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. Leicester and East Midlands companies wishing to export to Turkey are encouraged to contact UKTI to discuss appropriate support, including through the Passport to Export and Gateway to Global Growth programmes.
	UKTI in the East Midlands works closely with a range of partners including the Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the Leicestershire Chamber and other local service providers across the region to help companies to identify the right overseas markets for their goods and services and to help them to succeed there.
	UKTI has designated Turkey as one of its priority high growth and emerging markets where they are intensifying their efforts and shifting further resources to help UK companies seize opportunities. The UKTI East Midlands team is planning two trade missions to Turkey during this financial year, having organised successful missions to the market in each of the last two years.

Science: Finance

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department plans to spend on science capital in 2012-13.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills plans to spend £608.9 million on science capital in 2012-13.

Students: Fees and Charges

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 293W, on students: fees and changes, for what reason the figure of £7,500 was used to make the calculation given private higher education providers can only access student loan funding of £6,000 per year; and if he will re-calculate his estimate.

David Willetts: In the original estimate given on 13 March 2012, and as explained in my answer of 16 April 2012, the assumed average fee loan of £7,500 was used to estimate the costs of supporting extra student places at publicly funded institutions. The £6,000 cap for fee loans at private higher education providers is not relevant to this calculation.
	The £6,000 cap is not expected to make a significant impact on the overall average fee loan estimate as students at private institutions currently comprise a small proportion of the overall population eligible for fee loans.

Students: Fees and Charges

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the effects of higher undergraduate tuition fees on postgraduate participation; and if he will involve representatives from the higher education sector in undertaking this assessment.

David Willetts: The Department has taken steps to monitor developments in the postgraduate market as a result of changes in undergraduate tuition fees. We have asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to review participation in postgraduate study, as part of a longer term assessment and evaluation of the impact of funding changes. HEFCE is actively engaging with the higher education sector on this issue and has involved Universities UK (UUK), Guild Higher Education (HE), the sector's mission groups and individual institutions in meetings to gain feedback on its approach.

Students: Fees and Charges

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with (a) banks and (b) the research councils on postgraduate funding since May 2010.

David Willetts: Since May 2010, I have had no meetings with banks to specifically discuss postgraduate funding. I regularly meet with the research councils to discuss a wide range of issues including all aspects of research funding.

Summertime

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the contract was advertised for the study to review the scope, quality and robustness of available evidence concerning putting the clocks forward by one hour in the UK all year round; and when he expects the study to be completed.

Norman Lamb: The Government decided that a short study should be conducted to review the scope, quality and robustness of the available evidence concerning putting the clocks forward by one hour, the year round, in the UK.
	A contract for the study was originally advertised on 16 February 2012 and then re-advertised on 23 March 2012 following a lack of response. The study began this month and is expected to conclude in July 2012.
	However, as the Prime Minister has made clear, a change should only occur if there was UK wide consensus and the Government would not expect to make any change if there was clear opposition from any part of the UK.

Technology Strategy Board

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Technology Strategy Board spent on (a) collaborative research and development project grants, (b) knowledge transfer partnership awards, (c) knowledge transfer network costs, (d) catapult centre operating costs, (e) catapult centre capital costs, (f) Technology Strategy Board contributions to Small Business Research Initiative contracts, (g) SMART and other grants for research and development to (i) individual companies and (ii) small and medium-sized enterprises, (h) Technology Strategy Board administration costs and (i) other costs in 2011-12.

David Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board's latest estimated spend figures for 2011/12 are:
	
		
			  2011/12 (£000 estimated) 
			  Total grant spend Total grant to individual companies Total grant to SMEs 
			 Collab. R&D 155,292 126,890 28,402 
			 KTPs(1) 19,900 n/a n/a 
			 KTN(2) 15,900 n/a n/a 
			 Catapult centres (operating costs)(3) 20,800 n/a n/a 
			 Catapult centres (capital costs)(3) 21,500 n/a n/a 
			 SBRI (contract) 5,200 5,200 3,000 
			 Smart 23,400 23,400 23,400 
			 TSB admin costs 23,568 — — 
			 Other costs 14,891 — — 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) The grant for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships goes to the academic partner in the project. The companies in the partnerships each contribute in the region of £20,000 per annum with most KTPs being for a three year period. (2) The grant for Knowledge Transfer Networks is in respect of the operating costs of each KTN. (3) The grant for Catapults is in respect of the development of the network of Catapult centres. 
		
	
	Final spend figures for the year will not be known until July when it is expected that all accruals for 2011/12 will have been fully unwound whereby all invoices relating to the year's activity will have been received and paid by the Technology Strategy Board.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12.

Norman Lamb: In 2011-12, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills had two trade union representatives with full-time paid facility time arrangements and 35 trade union representatives with part-time paid facility time arrangements.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this information for its non-departmental public bodies centrally. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Government will be consulting the civil service trade unions shortly on changes to current practices around facilities time.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse.

Norman Lamb: The following list shows how many days were used for paid facility time by each trade union representative in Department for Business, Innovation and Skills:
	5 reps used less than 1 day each
	2 reps used 25 days
	4 reps used between 1-2 days each
	1 rep used 26 days
	1 rep used 2 days
	1 rep used 38 days
	3 reps used between 3-4 days each
	1 rep used 80 days
	1 rep used 6 days
	1 rep used 153 days
	2 reps used between 7-8 days each
	1 rep used 11 days
	1 rep used 14 days
	1 rep used 18 days
	1 rep used 19 days
	1 rep used 21 days
	2 reps used 220 days
	Total of 914 days used
	Eight TU representatives did not use any paid facility time.
	The cost of the facility time used in 2011-12 was less than £200,000.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this information for its non-departmental public bodies centrally. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Government will be consulting the civil service trade unions shortly on changes to current practices around facilities time.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills allows trade union representatives paid facility time arrangements for industrial relations duties (e.g. attendance at joint meetings with management on departmental restructure) and trade union activities (e.g. taking part as a representative in meetings of official committees of the trade union). The following lists show how many days were used for trade union activities by each trade union representative in the Department.
	Number of days used for paid facility time by each TU rep for Trade Union Activities
	3 reps used less than 1 day each
	3 reps used between 1-2 days each
	1 rep used 2 days
	2 reps used 3 days each
	3 reps used between 5-6 days each
	3 reps used between 7-8 days each
	2 reps used between 14-15 days each
	1 rep used 18 days
	1 rep used 25 days
	1 rep used 26 days
	1 rep used 32 days
	2 full-time reps do not apportion their facility time
	14 reps did not use any paid facility time
	Number of days used for paid facility time by each TU rep for Industrial Relations Duties
	4 reps used less than 1 day
	6 reps used between 1-2 days each
	1 rep used 2 days
	2 reps used between 3-4 days each
	1 rep used 5 days
	1 rep used 6 days
	1 rep used 10.5 days
	1 rep used 14 days
	1 rep used 20 days
	1 rep used 66 days
	1 rep used 37.5 days
	2 full-time reps do not apportion their facility time
	15 reps did not use any paid facility time
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this information centrally for its non-departmental public bodies. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Government will be consulting the civil service trade unions shortly on changes to current practices around facilities time.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is content to place in the Library of the House a copy of its facility time agreement.
	The Department does not hold copies of any facility time agreements in place in each of its non-departmental public bodies.
	The Government will be consulting the civil service trade unions shortly on changes to current practices around facilities time.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many trade union representatives in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental bodies have faced disciplinary action for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not disciplined any trade union representatives for abusing paid facility time or public resources in each of the last five years.
	The Department does not hold this information centrally for its non-departmental public bodies. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Government will be consulting the civil service trade unions shortly on changes to current practices around facilities time.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many meetings have taken place between (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental bodies and trade union representatives utilising paid facility time in each of the last five years to discuss (i) collective bargaining, (ii) redundancies, (iii) negotiations relating to employment, pay and conditions and (iv) other trade union and industrial relations duties; and what the dates and times were of each meeting.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the departmental trade unions have regular meetings to maintain effective employee relations. To produce the dates and times for each meeting over the past five years would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Department does not hold this information centrally for its non-departmental public bodies. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Government will be consulting the civil service trade unions shortly on changes to current practices around facilities time.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions trade union representatives from (a) his Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies have utilised paid facility time to represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter in each of the last five years.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold central records on how many occasions trade union representatives represent an employee at a meeting or other industrial relations matter. This information is kept in the personal case files and to collate this information for each of the last five years would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this information centrally for its non-departmental public bodies. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Government will be consulting the civil service trade unions shortly on changes to current practices around facilities time.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Listed Buildings: VAT

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the effect on churches in Denton and Reddish constituency of the imposition of VAT on alterations to listed buildings.

Tony Baldry: Within the constituency of Denton and Reddish, which spans the Diocese of Manchester and Chester, the Church Commissioners are aware of only one Parish which is in the process of applying for a faculty licence, this is the Parish of St Lawrence, Denton. The project is proposing the internal renovation and reordering, replacement of the drainage system and various architectural restorations to the II* listed church. The project is yet to receive final approval and currently has an estimated cost of £500,000 the majority of which would have been subject to 0% VAT.
	Since the announcement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 17 May 2012 regarding the future extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), the Church Commissioners believe that the parts of the project which would have previously been eligible for 0% VAT will now be able to apply for funds from the LPWGS which has been extended to cover alterations, repairs and maintenance, with an extra £30 million being ring fenced by the Treasury to support the scheme. We anticipate that these and other future projects will be able to reclaim the full rate of VAT levied on any project of this kind.